Wilderness: A Place Where God’s Chesed Love Pursues Us

I’ve yet to meet anyone who enjoys the process of walking through a wilderness season.

Sure, we’ve heard sermons about how the wilderness builds character, deepens faith, and fosters spiritual growth—but let’s be honest: most of us just want out.

And yet, Scripture reveals something extraordinary about the wilderness: it’s not a place of abandonment but a place of pursuit.

God’s Chesed Love in the Wilderness

The book of Hosea offers a powerful image of God’s chesed—His steadfast, covenant love—for His people, even when they rebel against Him.

God allowed Israel to experience the consequences of their unfaithfulness, but His love was stronger than their sin… and stronger than ours.

One verse stopped me in my tracks the other day:

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.” —Hosea 2:14 (ESV)

Pause for a moment.

This is God speaking: “I will allure her…”

The language here is tender, even romantic. It paints the picture of a loving pursuer—drawing His beloved close, not with wrath but with gentleness.

The Wilderness as a Course Correction

Like Israel, we may be lured away by false comforts and fleeting securities. And before we realize it, we’ve dethroned God from the center of our hearts.

But the wilderness isn’t punishment.
It’s a course correction.
A sacred space where distractions are stripped away and God’s voice becomes unmistakably clear.