Believing In Your Destiny When All You See Is Wilderness

Destiny is a funny thing. We all want to believe it exists in us, but it feels mystical and elusive. It conjures up feelings of great longing and hopeless impossibility.

But there is destiny in you. God has an inevitable, wonderful future designed for you. Wrap your brain around it. Let it sink in so that even your subconscious knows it.

Ideally, this future does not involve you being alone, but instead sees you and your handsome husband or hot wife riding into the sunset together. That’s a promise we all want, right?

Let me tell you a cool story, and then we’ll dive into the ways it applies to your destiny and love life.

Getting It Out

Deuteronomy 7 is a beautiful tale of God renewing the hope of the promised land and lavishing His love on the nation of Israel. Verse 6 (NLT) says, “For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure.” Not because they were greater than other nations, but simply because God loved and chose them. He declared that when they came into the land, He would clear away the godless, more powerful nations to make way for this promise to happen. (Have you ever wished God would clear away a few godless people from your life to make way for a promise?)

You, dear friend, are God’s special treasure, and upon your life is a promise. It’s your destiny, and there is nothing God won’t do to ensure you reach it.

Driving It Out

Deuteronomy 7:22 (NLT) speaks to the how and why of it all: “The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you.”

How is this significant for us?

First, to realize the promise, the occupying nations must be dealt with. They are those things that would keep us from entering our destiny — distractions, emotional wounds, hidden sins. God sternly warned Israel not to intermarry, establish treaties or have anything whatsoever to do with these nations. They were to be completely destroyed. For us, they are a barrier between the wilderness and the promise. Allow God the time to drive them out little by little. Let Him walk you through the process of healing and repentance. Let Him dispel guilt, fear and regrets and utterly destroy the work of the enemy in your life.

Next, let’s talk wild animals. Seven nations were driven out — millions of people who kept the wild animals in check simply by going about their daily lives. If all those people had been destroyed at once and the small nation of Israel moved in, the wild animals would have overtaken them and brought death and destruction.

Planning It Out

Let’s apply this to our relationships. Wild animals are the things that destroy your destiny after you take the land. If you rush into a relationship before your past has been thoroughly dealt with, you’re asking for trouble. Falling in love is the easy part; keeping the wild animals in check is the challenge.

If your destiny isn’t happening as quickly as you’d like, there’s a reason. God is molding you, making you just right for your destiny. Maybe He’s tweaking your destiny for you. There may be unsafe people in your promised land that God has yet to clear away. He may be maturing and preparing your children for a smoother blending of families.

When we charge ahead of God and disregard His timing, we sabotage our destiny. He does not miss one single detail of His plan! There is nothing He hasn’t already considered. He is so thorough and purposeful, and He is constantly drawing you toward the promise.

Before my husband and I dated, we were each on our own journey of healing (you can read about it here). We knew we were to hold off for a time while God worked. He told my husband, “If I tell you too many details at once, you’ll mess it up. You’ll short-circuit the process. You’ll be led by your emotions and rush to the end too quickly.”

I’m so grateful he listened and obeyed. I’m happy to say we’ve had fewer wild animals to deal with in marriage because we let God drive out our junk and heal us of it before we occupied the land.

The God of your destiny desperately wants to bring you in. Don’t fear the wilderness; He’s there with you. On the flip side, don’t do things that would keep you outside of your promise. Be intentional about participating in the process God is taking you through.

And finally, know that when you are in the hardest places, God is still God. He is still leading and guiding, lavishing love and destiny upon you.

Take a moment to let yourself dream. If there were no obstacles hindering your path, where would your dreams take you?