The Wilderness of Life

Life is filled with wilderness seasons, but in the midst of them, Jesus not only saves—He nourishes.

Jeff Norris, Caleb Click, and Bob Cargo dig into Exodus 16–17, exploring how the wilderness theme runs throughout Scripture—not just for the Israelites, but for us. They discuss the biblical understanding of wilderness as a metaphor for life’s struggles, the role of suffering in spiritual growth, and the importance of faith during challenging times. While life may feel like a wilderness, it is also a journey towards redemption and hope through Christ.

Quotes:

• “The book of Exodus is just this beautiful microcosm of the greater story of redemption that God is telling for the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation.” — Jeff Norris
• “The wilderness is the place where we discover the full depth of our weakness, but also the sufficiency of God and His supply in Jesus Christ.” — Caleb Click
• “It makes me think of the promises of the 23rd Psalm, that our Shepherd is going to be with us through all these things. The 23rd Psalm does not paint the picture of rosy circumstances all the time. The sheep have to be led to the quiet waters and the green pastures, and they still go through the valley of the shadow of death. But our shepherd is with us, and that’s the comfort.” — Bob Cargo
• “Sometimes suffering has to come so that we would become people who actually desire heaven and trust the Lord in the midst of those trying times.” — Caleb Click

Application Questions:

• What does your faith look like in the wilderness?
• Why do we long for pre-redemption realities?”

Related Resources:

• Listen to the Exodus sermon series (part two, 2021)

Listen to this and more episodes on our Digging Deeper podcast, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other streaming platforms.