Wandering is never easy. When God calls us to wander in a desert, this can include a lot of uncertainty. How long will we wander? Where are we going? How will we know when it’s time to stop wandering? And, what happens when we mess up?
The Israelites probably thought these questions, too. At many points in their wandering, they messed up and no longer knew what the road ahead would look like. This didn’t last forever, though. God was still faithful, and he still guided them. At the end of their wandering, he still led them to the Promised Land, despite the sins they committed and the questions and doubts they had.
We never know how long we’ll wander, and very few of us will have an idea as to where exactly we are going. God is still faithful in this wandering, and he’s not going to remove his promises to you because you’ve sinned.
Take it from the Israelites. First, they worshipped a golden calf when God was right up the mountain near them, talking to their leader. Then, they complained about the food God prepared for them. Then, they directly disobeyed the Lord’s orders and were forced to wander for much longer as a result. Even after all of this, the Lord still did not remove their blessings or the future he prepared for them. Instead, he rebuked and corrected them. Like a loving father, he showed them the correct path so they could “grow up” to be the people he wanted them to be.