God's Unfailing Love: Even in the Wilderness
TnT- Prayer - July 8 2025
Nothing demonstrates God's love more than His faithfulness to us in spite of our failures. Israel's wilderness experience shows us that even when fear keeps us from His best, God never abandons
I. WHAT FEAR DID
Fear Drove them out of Egypt
Exodus 14:10-12 (KJV) - " 10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?"
NLT - Exodus 14:10-12"10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, 1 land they said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12Didn't we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It's better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!"'
• Fear drove them OUT of Egypt (fear of Pharaoh's army)
God hardened Pharoah's heart so that he would chase after them.
• Exodus 14: 4 "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them;
Fear kept them OUT of the promised land (fear of giants)
Numbers 13:32-33 (KJV) - "And they brought up an evil report of the land...there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers"
Il. God's Response: Faithful Love, Not Abandonment
Numbers 14:33-34 (KJV) - "And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years...After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years"
Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV) - "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
• God sentenced them to 40 years in the wilderness
• But He never left nor forsook them
• He led them in circles until they died - but He led them
Ill. The Wilderness: A Place of God's Provision
Deuteronomy 8:4 (KJV) - "Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years."
Nehemiah 9:21 (KJV) - "Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not."
• For 40 years: clothes didn't wear out, feet didn't swell
Psalm 78:24-25 (KJV) - "And had rained down manna upon them to eat...Man did eat angels' food"
• Daily bread from heaven
• Water from rocks when they needed it
IV. Annual Opportunities: God's Persistent Grace
According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Israel "no doubt revisited annually" their stations during the 38 years of nomadic life. This suggests that every year they may have had opportunity to approach the Jordan River and cross into the promised land.
Deuteronomy I :6-8 (KJV) - "The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount...behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land"
• God's invitation remained open
• Each annual circuit was another chance to trust Him
• His love persistently offered what fear had refused
V. He Never Gave Up on Them
Psalm 106:44-45 (KJV) - "Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: And he remembered his covenant for their sakes, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies. "
Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV) - "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
"His compassions fail not"
"New every morning"
Even their children got to enter the promised land
VI. The Application: His Love for Us
Romans 8:38-39 (KJV) - "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) - "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
• Our fear doesn't stop His love
• Our failures don't end His faithfulness
• "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee"
Conclusion
Israel's 40 years in the wilderness weren't punishment without purpose - they were proof of God's patient love. Even when fear kept them from His best, He never abandoned them. He led them, fed them, clothed them, and gave them opportunities year after year to trust Him.
Romans 5:8 (KJV) - "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
If God loved Israel through 40 years of wandering, how much more does He love us through Christ? Our giants may look big, but His love is bigger. Our fear may be real, but His faithfulness is greater.
John 3: 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
He never leaves. He never forsakes. He loves us - imperfections and all - until He brings us home.
Psalm 136
His Loving Kindness Endures Forever
1 0 give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 0 give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 0 give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 0 give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Chronicles 5:13 "The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: "For He is good; His loving devotion enduresforever. " And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud
