Trusting God in untamed wilderness

[Brent Kipfer]

I like the wilderness in nice, manageable chunks - an afternoon hike through a snow-covered Ontario bush followed by hot chocolate in our warm kitchen or a camping trip that includes an inflatable mattress. I would love to walk to a remote monastery through the Kidron valley - provided I had a trustworthy guide and an abundant supply of water. I like a bit of adventure - and yet retain control at the same time.

In the Bible - and in Dr. Laniak’s reflections, I hear God calling me to abandon my quest for comfort and control and follow Jesus into more untamed terrain. I do not like the idea of being stripped bare, coming to the end of my supply and bearing the brunt of the elements, yet how else can I learn, with Israel, that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord�?

I am looking forward to this 40-day journey of exploring the shepherding life and recharging my relationship with God. I trust that as I voluntarily embrace the wilderness in the company of Jesus, he will prepare me for the next unplanned desert stretch that is bound appear sooner or later on the horizon of my life and ministry.