Paths in the Wilderness, Part 4: The Wilderness is Not a Mistake

Part 4 of “Paths in the Wilderness”

Isaiah 43:14–17
(14)Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. (15)I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” (16)Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, (17)who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick.(ESV)

If you’ve ever looked back on your life and wondered, “Why did God let that happen?”—you’re not alone. We all do it. We assume that the wilderness seasons—the years of struggle, failure, or silence—must have been divine detours. But what if they weren’t? What if those years were the path?

God doesn’t waste wilderness. He weaponizes it against the enemy.

God’s message through Isaiah here isn’t subtle. He says, “For your sake, I send to Babylon…” Not in spite of your wandering, not as punishment, but for your sake. The same God who allowed exile is the One orchestrating deliverance.

Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.(ESV)

That wilderness that broke you? It broke something else too—your illusion of control. And sometimes that’s the very thing God has to crush so you’ll finally follow Him through the sea.

Your past didn’t derail the plan. It was the setup.

Isaiah 43:16
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters(ESV)

This language takes us straight back to the Red Sea. To the moment when Israel, freshly freed, thought they were going to die. But God didn’t remove the water—He made a path through it.

Psalm 77:19
Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.(ESV)

They didn’t see His feet—but they walked in His wake.

What you thought was a failure might’ve been a filter.

Sometimes God brings you to the sea not to drown you—but to drown what’s chasing you.

Isaiah 43:17
who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick.(ESV)

The army that enslaved you will never walk the path God made for you. The wilderness wasn’t just your trial—it was their grave.

Reflections and Questions for the Journey

Are you still grieving a season God used to free you from something?
Have you mistaken God’s silence for absence, when He was actually guiding your steps unseen?
Can you look back and see how the things that broke you also broke chains?

Tomorrow: Behold, I Am Doing a New Thing (Isaiah 43:18–21)

We’ll explore how God shifts your focus from survival to renewal—and how new life often springs up in the very places you thought were dead.

Walking With Christ