In the wilderness?

I had lunch today with one of the small groups. As they talked, one of them asked if we knew when we were in the wilderness. It has me wondering -- did the Israelites know they were in the wilderness? Did Jesus know he was in the wilderness? I suppose the topography might have given it away, but did they perceive that is was a time of testing? Were the Israelites just glad to be out of Egpyt? Perhaps they perceived the wilderness as a place of salvation, instead of as a place of testing. maybe when the Israelites begged Moses to lead them back to Egypt, they had decided that the wilderness was not a place of salvation, but a place worse than Egypt.

As I sort through those reflections, I offer you these questions:

1. Do you know you are in the wilderness when you arrive there, or is it something we discover along the way or in reflection after we have left it?

2. What clues do you notice in your that tell you that you are in the wilderness?

3. What wilderness experiences have influenced you the most?

4. How did you get led out or who led you out of the wilderness?

Peace,

Richard