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The Daily Devotional
Saturday, May 16, 2026
A Way in the Wilderness
“Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43:19
Reflection
There is a distinct, fleeting beauty to a mid-May morning in the desert Southwest. If you step outside just before the sun crests the horizon, the air is still wonderfully cool, offering a brief reprieve before the relentless heat of the day settles in. With dogs Shylo and Charlie trotting faithfully at your heels, the morning chores begin. You walk out to check on the horses, your boots crunching softly against the arid earth. At first glance, the ground looks tired and parched after a long, dry winter. Yet, if you look closely near the fence line, you’ll see them: tiny, resilient green shoots pushing their way through the crusted dirt. They are a quiet testament to the strength of this land—a land that keeps on living and producing, even in the hardest of conditions.
It takes a certain kind of vision to see life where others only see dust, and a certain kind of courage to step into a landscape that promises nothing but hardship. On a spring day in 1842, a hodgepodge group of more than one hundred men, women, and children mustered that exact courage. They gathered their wagons in Elm Grove, Missouri, under the leadership of Elijah White, and looked westward toward the Oregon Territory. Until that moment, the treacherous paths carving through the plains and mountains were largely the exclusive domain of hardened mountain men, solitary trappers, and rugged explorers. The frontier was considered far too wild and unforgiving for families.
But this wagon train did a new thing. As they rolled out of Elm Grove, they didn't have a paved road or a guaranteed outcome. They faced a grueling, deeply uncertain journey across untamed rivers and towering mountain passes. Yet, their departure proved that the frontier was not insurmountable. They showed that families could survive the crossing, helping to open the American West and laying the foundation for the countless towns, ranches, and communities that would later dot the expansive landscape. They had to trust the trail, day by dusty day, long before they could see the fertile valleys of their destination.
In the book of Isaiah, the prophet delivers a message to a people who felt entirely cut off from their future. Exiled and exhausted, the Israelites looked at their circumstances and saw only a wasteland. But God speaks into their despair with a startling promise in Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing... I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” God wasn’t merely offering them a minor improvement to their current situation; He was promising to alter the very landscape of their reality. He is the God who specializes in forging paths where no roads exist and bringing forth life-giving water in the most barren stretches of our lives.
Perhaps today you feel as though you are staring out at a wilderness of your own. The path ahead might be obscured by illness, financial strain, a fractured relationship, or a deep sense of vocational uncertainty. You might be wondering how you will ever safely cross this current expanse. The story of the pioneers and the promise of Isaiah remind us that we do not need to see the entire map to begin the journey. We only need the courage to take the next faithful step. Trusting God in the wilderness means walking forward when the road is unclear, carrying the quiet assurance that He goes before us to chart the course.
Just as you might spot those persistent green shoots pushing up through the dry desert soil while doing the morning chores, God is always planting seeds of grace in our dry seasons. Our task is to look for those signs of new life, to nurture them, and to keep moving forward. We must continue our faithful work—caring for our land, tending to our daily responsibilities, and leaning on our faith—even when the ground feels unyielding and the way ahead is hidden.
As the day closes and the western sun begins to dip below the horizon, it casts a brilliant, fading, fiery glow against the rugged faces of the Florida Mountains to the east. It is a breathtaking display, painting the crags and canyons in warm hues of rose and gold. That evening light offers a profound sense of peace and beauty at the end of a long, dusty trail. It serves as a gentle, nightly reminder of the spiritual truth we can cling to: God is intimately acquainted with the wilderness. He is entirely capable of making a way through our most difficult places, bringing beauty out of our struggles, and nurturing life where we least expect it.
Prayer
Gracious and Loving God, we thank You that You are the Maker of new things and the trailblazer in our wilderness moments. When we look at the path ahead and see only uncertainty, dry earth, and daunting mountains, give us the faith to believe that You are already carving out a way. Help us to notice the small, green shoots of hope You plant in our daily lives, and grant us the courage to take the next faithful step, trusting that You walk beside us. As the sun sets on our long days, let us rest in the beauty of Your presence and the certainty of Your unfailing guidance. Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the World English Bible (WEB), which is a Public Domain Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible, first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. It is in draft form and is currently being edited for accuracy and readability. All rights reserved.
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