There is a verse in Deuteronomy where God warns Israel that when everything starts going well — when the houses are built, the wells are full, the vineyards are producing, and silver and gold are multiplied — they must be careful not to forget the LORD who brought them out of Egypt. It is a strange warning when you think about it. God is essentially saying, I intend to bless you so much that it will become dangerous for you. Dangerous not because of enemies, but because of forgetfulness . That thought changes how we look at the wilderness. We often think the wilderness is a sign that something is wrong, that we missed God, that we took a wrong turn somewhere. But in scripture, the wilderness is not a mistake. It is the Spirit’s leading . The Spirit led Israel into the wilderness. The Spirit led David into the wilderness. The Spirit led John the Baptist into the wilderness. And the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. If the Spirit leads there, then the wilderness cannot mean we are of...