Wilderness Seasons: Finding Purpose & Gifts in Hard Times

Summary

Have you ever felt like you are wandering in a dry, spiritual desert? Or perhaps God is asking you to do something you absolutely dread? In this episode of the Arise, Women of God podcast, host Tamara K. Anderson reframes these difficult seasons, showing how your trials are actually training grounds for finding purpose in hard times and developing essential spiritual gifts.

Tamara takes us back to the Old Testament to reveal how the children of Israel, while wandering in the wilderness, were blessed with specific, miraculous talents to build the Tabernacle. She then gets vulnerable about her own reluctance to use social media for her ministry—a modern-day "wilderness" of fear and loathing—and how God used that struggle to equip her with new skills. If you are currently facing resistance or dreading a new calling, this episode offers a roadmap for finding purpose in hard times. You’ll learn three practical steps to move from the wilderness to progress, proving that God never leaves you in the desert without a plan. Tune in to discover how your current struggle might just be the very thing preparing you for your Promised Land!

Episode Takeaways

1. Wilderness as a Classroom: Just as the Israelites developed specific craftsmanship (woodworking, weaving, gold work) while wandering in the desert to build the Tabernacle, our "dry seasons" are often where God develops the specific gifts we need for our future mission.
2. The "Loathing" Can Lead to Light: Tamara shares her personal struggle with "loathing" social media, yet God required it for her ministry. Sometimes, the thing we resist most is the exact area where God wants to grow us and give us new skills (even the "gift of marketing").
3. Prayer is the Pivot: The first step out of the wilderness is honest, messy prayer. God is big enough to handle your complaints. Pour out your heart, and then ask Him to change your desire.
4. Ask for the Desire to Change: Often, we know we need to change but don't want to. The most powerful prayer can simply be asking God to "plant the desire" in your heart, allowing Him to begin the work of moving you toward your Promised Land.

Free Gift

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Reflection Questions

1. What "wilderness" or dry season are you currently walking through? Can you identify one skill or strength you are being forced to develop because of it?
2. Is there a task or calling God has placed on your heart that you are "loathing" or resisting? What fears are behind that resistance?
3. Have you ever prayed specifically for the desire to change, even when you didn't feel like doing it yourself? What happened?