We all mess up and find ourselves where we don’t want to be—in a wilderness place enduring serious affliction, or deep trauma and setbacks in life. Sure we all want the rich, good beautiful life of depth of maturity, strength and joy and to arrive at the promise land of success and strength. But the reality is sometimes we find ourselves in the wilderness of failure, hardship and struggle. It happens to everyone. You’re never alone.

The good news is God uses it all, even our darkest seasons in life, to shape and help us become the version of ourselves we could never be had we never been in the wilderness. It’s a process that is baked into the way God does things. It’s ordained in us. There’s no short cut. And it’s in those places--the depths of the wilderness--that we learn some of life’s most important lessons.

Click here to view the video version of the message from this week.