Finding Faith in the Wilderness of Doubt
Summary
Today’s journey took us into the wilderness with the Israelites in Exodus 16, exploring what it means to feel abandoned by God and how to walk with others through seasons of doubt, church hurt, and spiritual disorientation. The wilderness is that in-between place—no longer where we were, not yet where we hope to be. It’s a space marked by uncertainty, unmet expectations, and the temptation to look backward with nostalgia or forward with cynicism. The Israelites, freshly delivered from slavery, quickly forgot God’s faithfulness and began to grumble, confusing their wants for needs and romanticizing their past bondage. This spiritual amnesia is not unique to them; it’s a human tendency to forget God’s provision when the present feels barren.
Yet, God’s response to their complaints is not anger or rejection, but patient provision—bread in the morning, meat in the evening, just enough for each day. This daily dependence is not just about physical sustenance, but about learning to trust God’s presence even when it doesn’t look like we expect. The wilderness exposes the true condition of our hearts, revealing where our trust lies and what we truly believe about God’s character.
For those wrestling with doubt or walking alongside someone who is, the call is not to rush past grief or offer trite answers, but to be present, patient, and compassionate. We are Christ’s ambassadors, not his replacements. Our role is to listen, to sit in the tension, and to extend the same grace we have received. Lament—honest, unfiltered prayer—is a vital part of faith, creating space for grief and questions without fear of rejection.
The temptation in the wilderness is to reconstruct God in our own image, to seek comfort over faithfulness, or to walk away when God’s justice seems delayed. But the wilderness is also where God meets us, where our deepest needs are revealed, and where trust can be rebuilt. The greatest witness to those who are struggling is not perfect answers, but a willingness to walk with them, to share our own stories of wrestling and grace, and to create a church family where it’s safe to be honest about our struggles. God has not left us alone; he is present in the wilderness, and he has given us each other.
Key Takeaways
- The wilderness is a sacred space of transition, where what was has ended and what will be has not yet begun. In these seasons, it’s natural to feel lost, to question God’s presence, and to be tempted by nostalgia for the past or cynicism about the future. Yet, these moments are invitations to deeper trust and honest engagement with God, not occasions for shame or self-condemnation. [09:32]
- Spiritual amnesia—the tendency to forget God’s past faithfulness when faced with present uncertainty—is a universal struggle. Complaints often reveal the true state of our hearts, not just our circumstances. Recognizing this can help us approach God and others with humility, honesty, and a willingness to remember and recount God’s goodness, even when it feels distant. [14:01]
- God’s response to our doubts and complaints is marked by patience and provision, not condemnation. He meets us in our need, often in ways that require daily dependence and trust rather than instant resolution. This rhythm of daily provision is echoed in Jesus’ teaching that he himself is the bread of life—our ultimate need is not for more answers or comfort, but for deeper relationship with him. [16:32]
- Walking with those who are deconstructing or doubting requires us to remember our role as Christ’s ambassadors. We are called to be present, patient, and compassionate, offering understanding rather than quick fixes. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is to sit with others in their questions, extending the same grace and space for lament that God offers us. [23:36]
- The temptation to reconstruct God in our own image—seeking comfort, control, or quick solutions—can be strong in the wilderness. True faithfulness means resisting the urge to rush past grief or edit God’s commands to fit our desires. Instead, we are invited to embrace lament, slow down, and trust that God is present, even when his provision and timing do not match our expectations. [28:54]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:46] - Introduction to the Series: Asking for a Friend
[04:00] - Entering the Wilderness: Israel’s Story
[06:05] - Reading Exodus 16:1-12
[08:21] - The Wilderness as a Metaphor for Our Lives
[10:18] - Forgetting God’s Faithfulness
[12:04] - The Temptation of Nostalgia and Spiritual Amnesia
[13:36] - Deconstruction and Wandering
[14:45] - Complaints Reveal the Heart
[16:32] - God’s Patient Provision in the Wilderness
[17:10] - Jesus as the Bread of Life
[19:25] - When Faith Feels Like a Hallmark Card
[21:18] - Honest Lament: Psalm 13
[23:36] - Our Role as Christ’s Ambassadors
[25:45] - Being Present and Patient with Doubt
[27:16] - Embracing Lament and Slowing Down
[28:54] - The Temptation to Reconstruct God
[33:54] - The Wilderness as a Place of Revelation
[35:20] - The Power of Honest Community
[36:23] - The Gift of Spiritual Family
[37:23] - Creating a Safe Church for Honest Questions
[38:56] - Becoming the Church for the Wilderness
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: “God in the Wilderness”
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### Bible Reading
- Exodus 16:1-12 (Main text)
- Psalm 13 (Referenced in sermon)
- John 6:26, 35 (Jesus as the Bread of Life)
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### Observation Questions
1. In Exodus 16:1-12, what specific complaints did the Israelites bring to Moses and Aaron, and how did they describe their past in Egypt? [06:23]
2. According to the sermon, what was God’s response to the Israelites’ grumbling in the wilderness? [16:32]
3. In Psalm 13, what emotions does David express toward God, and how does he end his prayer? [21:18]
4. When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life” in John 6, what need is He addressing in the people following Him? [18:14]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. The Israelites looked back at Egypt with nostalgia, even though it was a place of slavery. Why do people sometimes romanticize the past when facing uncertainty or hardship? [12:04]
2. The sermon calls the wilderness a “sacred space of transition.” What does it mean for a difficult or uncertain season to be “sacred”? [09:32]
3. God’s provision in the wilderness was “just enough for each day.” What might God be teaching His people (and us) through this kind of daily dependence? [16:32]
4. The sermon says that complaints often reveal the true state of our hearts, not just our circumstances. How can recognizing this change the way we approach God and others in times of doubt? [14:45]
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### Application Questions
1. The Israelites confused their wants for needs and forgot God’s past faithfulness. Can you think of a time when you did the same? How did it affect your trust in God? [15:42]
2. The sermon encourages us to be present and patient with those who are doubting or deconstructing their faith, rather than offering quick fixes. Who in your life might need you to simply listen and sit with them in their questions right now? [25:45]
3. Lament—honest, unfiltered prayer—is described as a vital part of faith. When was the last time you brought your raw emotions or doubts to God? What happened? [27:16]
4. The temptation in the wilderness is to reconstruct God in our own image or seek comfort over faithfulness. Are there areas in your life where you’ve tried to “edit” God’s commands or character to fit your preferences? What would it look like to surrender those areas? [28:54]
5. The sermon says the greatest witness to those struggling is not perfect answers, but a willingness to walk with them and share our own stories of wrestling and grace. Is there a part of your story you could share with someone who is struggling? What holds you back? [35:06]
6. The church is called to be a safe place for honest questions and struggles. How can our group (or you personally) help create a culture where it’s safe to be honest about doubts and pain? [38:56]
7. God has given us each other as a spiritual family. When you feel alone in your faith, what practical steps can you take to reach out for support, or to offer it to someone else? [36:23]
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray honestly—bringing both gratitude and any current doubts, griefs, or questions to God, trusting that He hears and is present in the wilderness.
Devotional
Day 1: God Meets Us in the Wilderness
In the wilderness seasons of life—those in-between spaces where what was has ended and what will be is not yet clear—it is easy to feel abandoned, uncertain, and tempted to look back with nostalgia or forward with doubt. Yet, these are the very places where God desires to meet us, to reveal our true needs, and to teach us daily dependence on Him. Even when our hearts are full of complaint or confusion, God responds not with rebuke but with provision, inviting us to trust Him one day at a time. [08:21]
Exodus 16:1-12 (ESV)
They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
Reflection: Where in your life do you feel like you are in a wilderness right now, and how might you invite God to meet you there today?
Day 2: Jesus Is the True Bread of Life
Our deepest hunger is not for more provision, but for the presence of Jesus Himself. Just as the Israelites longed for bread in the wilderness, and the crowds followed Jesus for another meal, we too can confuse our wants with our true needs. Jesus invites us to come to Him, the Bread of Life, who alone satisfies our deepest longings and never leaves us hungry or thirsty for what truly matters. [18:14]
John 6:26, 35 (ESV)
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. … Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
Reflection: What is one area where you have been seeking fulfillment apart from Jesus, and how can you turn to Him as your true source today?
Day 3: Honest Lament and Trust in God’s Faithful Love
God welcomes our raw honesty, our questions, and even our doubts. Like David, we can bring our pain, confusion, and longing directly to God, trusting that He hears us even when He feels distant. Lament is not a lack of faith, but an act of faith that leads us from despair to renewed trust in God’s faithful love and generous dealings with us. [21:18]
Psalm 13:1-6 (ESV)
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Reflection: What honest prayer or lament do you need to bring to God today, trusting that He can handle your questions and pain?
Day 4: Our Role as Christ’s Ambassadors
We are called to be Christ’s ambassadors—representatives who offer compassion, understanding, and unwavering love to those wrestling with doubt, church hurt, or spiritual disconnection. Our role is not to have all the answers or to judge, but to be present, patient, and willing to walk alongside others in their wilderness, extending the same grace we have received. [23:36]
2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Reflection: Who in your life is struggling with faith or feeling disconnected, and how can you intentionally offer them presence and grace this week?
Day 5: The Gift of Spiritual Family
God has not left us alone; He has given us a spiritual family to walk with us through every season, including the wilderness. The church is meant to be a safe place where we can be honest about our struggles, doubts, and questions, and where we can both give and receive support, love, and encouragement as we journey together toward wholeness. [36:23]
Romans 12:4-5 (ESV)
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Reflection: Is there someone in your church family you can reach out to for support or offer encouragement to today, making space for honest connection?
Quotes
There are people in our spheres of influence, whether we've recognized it or not, that need us as followers of Jesus to love well, to listen deeply and stay faithful in the tension of learning what it means to come alongside those in your spheres of influence as they wrestle with faith or church hurt or the in between. [00:03:37]
The idea is that this is a message for those people. But I'm also real with the fact that those kinds of people probably would never dawn the doors of a church because they have doubts, church hurt, and everything in between. So then why talk about this? [00:03:16]
What do I do when I feel like God has left me all alone? What do I do when when I feel like God has left me all alone? And more importantly, it's it's this wrestling. That's one question. But more importantly, the other question is actually this. How does God want to meet us in our wilderness experiences? [00:04:21]
I think it's fair to say that in the wilderness becomes a per uh I think it's fair to say that the wilderness becomes a perfect metaphor for those times in your life when what has come before has ended, but what comes next has yet to begin. [00:09:29]
It's that feeling you get when when you're not where you were, but you're not quite sure where you're going. At best, it isn't denying that God has ever moved. It's more of like this dark sense of despair. You're you're no longer sure how or where God is moving. [00:09:47]
But two months into freedom, what do we see? two months. They're hangry, grumbling, and full of regret. And some of you would say being angry is is is enough to be grumbling and full of regret. Right? Some of you, right? What do they do? [00:10:59]
But this is what the wilderness does to us, right? This is what the wilderness does to us. When we feel uncertain, disoriented, or afraid, we we start to look backward and and we call it better, even if it was deeply broken. [00:12:08]
Complaining is actually about the condition of our hearts. As one commentator puts it, "Our complaints are rarely caused by outward circumstances. They reveal the inward condition of our hearts." Really, the Israelites had nothing to complain about. [00:14:48]
The Israelites confused what they wanted with what they needed. And this is often the source of our discontent, thinking that our greeds are really our needs. Now, most of us don't need more evidence that God has not abandoned us. [00:15:40]
And what we notice is that God doesn't rebuke them with thunder from heaven or send them back to Egypt, does he? Instead, what does God do? I think if you read in between the lines, it's it's God chuckling and going, "Of course, they would complain." [00:16:32]
In other words, Jesus is saying, "Look, you actually don't need more provision. You need me. You need the one, the mana in the wilderness was pointing to all along. You need the Savior who doesn't leave you alone in the wilderness." [00:18:24]
It's a forgetfulness that sets in when we experience doubt, church hurt, or the in between. It's a forgetting of of the God who rescued us and how he showed up last time. And so, like the Israelites in Exodus, it's second nature to complain when God doesn't meet our expectations. [00:14:10]
Not the polished one, not the filtered one, but the one that says, "Lord, I'm still here, but I don't understand. And to be honest, I am really tired." And if that's you, or maybe if you're walking with someone who's there, let's not rush past the grief of unmet expectations or fast forward through the questions and the doubts or tell people to just have more faith as a way to avoid their pain. [00:22:36]
Our role as ambassadors is to offer compassion, understanding, unwavering love even when we don't have all the answers. My son and I have been um watching uh this apologetic what's his name? Uh connect what's his name? Cliff. I don't know if anybody have seen this guy named Cliff Connecti or whatever. [00:23:58]
To overuse this phrase, but it's true. It's it's it's a marathon, not a sprint. It requires consistent presence, patience, and a willingness to sit with them in their uncertainty. After all, Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn." He didn't say, "Blessed are those who get over it quickly." [00:25:50]
And this hopelessness, this wilderness between what was and what's next can feel desolate and lonely. I know. But it's not a place where God abandons us. It is a place where our true needs are often revealed, where hearts are tested, and where we have the opportunity to learn to trust in God's provision even when it doesn't look the way we expected. [00:33:50]
