Trusting God In The Wilderness

Recently, my church crew and I were reading through a book when I came across a question that hit me hard: “What is your attitude toward God in the wilderness? What holds you back from trusting Him?”It made me stop and reflect- because trusting God in the wilderness is exactly where I’ve been struggling lately.

My honest answer?

“Depending on the circumstance, my attitude changes. Usually, I’m like Job — LOL. I’m working on it.”

But then I kept writing…

“I think it’s because the unknown scares me. It’s easier to trust God with finances because that’s familiar to me. He’s provided in that area multiple times. The ‘what ifs’ are what hold me back from trusting Him fully.”

WOAH. That was a moment of revelation.

“What if He doesn’t come through?”

“How long will this season last?”

“Will it get worse before it gets better?”

When it comes to finances, I’ve seen God move so many times that it’s become easier to trust. But in other areas — where I don’t have a reference point or past experience — anxiety creeps in.

But here’s the danger in only trusting where it’s familiar:

Familiarity can keep you stagnant. It can make you afraid to move when God says move.

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Walking Through a Financial Wilderness

Right now, my family is walking through a financial wilderness.

My husband lost his job while we were on vacation, and I’m a stay-at-home mom waiting to hear back about disability. We have an 8-month-old son — and zero income. That is terrifying.

But what’s even scarier?

Being disobedient to the Holy Spirit.

Three months after our son was born, I felt God place something on my heart: my husband needed to quit his job so God could have His full hand over the clothing brand he’s been building.

It didn’t make logical sense, especially as new parents. My husband wanted to wait until we had another source of income — and I respected that. He’s the head of our home, and I didn’t want to force a decision. But I kept encouraging him with what I felt God was showing me.

He chose to return to work — and immediately, everything became chaotic. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, things were out of order. I knew we weren’t where we were supposed to be.

So one night, I prayed,

“God, if he’s not supposed to be working anymore, then have him get laid off.”

Two weeks before Christmas — he was laid off.

Then on March 20th, he was unexpectedly kicked out of his union for missing a class during our family trip. What’s crazy is that I had a dream about this exact thing happening… and when I told him, he dismissed it as a fear. Turns out, it was a warning.

Sometimes, God has to force you out of what’s familiar in order to place you in what’s faithful.

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Overcoming the Fear of the Unknown

I read something recently that said:

“Trauma makes you obsessed with knowing the why behind everything. The unknown once led to pain, so your body now treats uncertainty as a threat.”

That hit deep. But the truth is — our fear doesn’t get the final say. God does.

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Scriptures About Trusting God in the Wilderness

Let’s go back to Scripture:

    •    Psalm 105:39-41 — God provided in the wilderness

    •    Deuteronomy 1:8 — God is faithful to His promises

    •    Exodus 16 — He fed the Israelites with manna from heaven (Read Exodus 16 on BibleGateway (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+16&version=NIV)

The common thread?

God ALWAYS provides.

It doesn’t matter how, it doesn’t matter when, it doesn’t matter what the situation looks like.

He will show up — and He will show up on time.

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If you’re walking through your own wilderness right now, I hope this encourages you to press in deeper, even when it’s hard. Trust Him — not just where it’s familiar, but where it’s unknown. That’s where faith begins. Trusting God in the wilderness doesn’t mean pretending you’re not afraid. It means choosing faith over fear, obedience over comfort, and surrender over control.

He is faithful. He is present. And He will provide even here.