In the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2)

meaning

To be in the wilderness often means going through big difficulties in one’s life.

origin and application

After the Israelites left Egypt, it took them forty years to reach the promised land. During those forty years in the wilderness, all they could count on were the supplies from God. When they were hungry, God rained down manna from heaven. When they were thirsty, water flowed from the hard rock. Their clothes “did not wear out and their feet did not swell during these forty years.”(Deuteronomy 8:4). It is only after the Israelites had learnt the lesson of relying on God’s provisions and walking in His ways that God brought them out of the wilderness and into the promised land.

example

The prime minister who was temporarily out of favour returns after her wilderness years.