This issue of The Encourager is about being in the wilderness. Whether that wilderness is the great outdoors or the wilderness of pain experience. What do you need? How can you prepare? Our Wilderness Survival Guide highlights the necessary requirements for surviving a wilderness journey.

The Wilderness Outdoors  The first rule of survival is to build a shelter. If you don't have a tent or tarp, use branches or other natural materials to build one. Choose a site a safe distance from water. Avoid open and low areas where wind could damage your shelter or rain water could form a puddle around or in your shelter.
The Wilderness of the Heart  God wants to be our shelter.
During danger he will keep me safe in his shelter. He will hide me in his Holy Tent, or he will keep me safe on a high mountain. Psalm 27:5 NCV.
For you have been my refuge . . . I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:3-4 NIV.
You protect the helpless when they are in danger. You are like a shelter from storms, like a shade that protects them from the heat. Isaiah 25:4 NCV.

The Wilderness Outdoors  Keep yourself warm and dry. A fire warms you, makes you more visible to rescuers, and calms your fears. Stock your survival kit with wooden matches in a waterproof container (empty film canisters work great). For a cheap fire starter, pack lint from your dryer in a ziplock bag. Children, please never start a fire without your parents' supervision.

The Wilderness of the Heart  God gives us His Word, the Bible, to help us find our way when we feel lost. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 NIV.
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 NIV.
Is not my word like fire?" declares the Lord. Jeremiah 23:29 NASB.

The Wilderness Outdoors  If you get lost, you will need a signal to let rescuers know where you are. You should carry three types of signals: a moving signal such as a flare or mirror, a contrast signal such as a colored cloth or blanket, and an audible signal such as a whistle.

The Wilderness of the Heart
God, our loving Father, is always looking out for His children, always watching for our signals and cries for help.
"But if I were you, I would call on God and bring my problem before him. God does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so many miracles they cannot be counted. . . . He makes the humble person important and lifts the sad to places of safety." Job 5:8-11 NCV.

And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me. Psalm 50:15 NASB.

The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him . . . . He listens when they cry, and he saves them. Psalm 145:18-19 NCV.

The Wilderness Outdoors  We must drink water to survive. Not all water that looks good is safe to drink. Always carry water with you, and keep water purification tablets handy. Never let your water supply get low.

The Wilderness of the Heart  God wants to nourish our souls as well as our bodies. When we drink water, we will thirst again, but God wants to give us the living water of His Holy Spirit, which will last forever.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42:1-2 NCV.

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14 NCV.

The Wilderness Outdoors  Think energy. Think calories. Try instant soup, hot chocolate, high energy bars, dried fruit, freeze dried meals, and MREs (Meals Ready to Eat, which are at most outdoor supply stores). Avoid foods that are heavy to carry or require lots of cooking.

The Wilderness of the Heart  God knows our physical need for food and promises to meet our basic needs. But our greatest need is a relationship with Him, the Source of Life.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103 NIV.

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4 NIV.

The Wilderness Outdoors  When the unexpected happens, a first aid kit is a must. Make your own kit with bandages, pain reliever, scissors, safety pins, a triangular or wrap bandage, gauze, antiseptic, blister pads, or buy a ready-made kit.

The Wilderness of the Heart  Physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds are a part of life. God's first aid kit is overflowing. He brings healing through His personal touch; His Word, the Bible; and through special people he brings into our lives. Although those who face the battle for their lives may not receive healing in this life, God will bring healing in the next life to everyone who comes to Him.

I have suffered for a long time. Lord, give me life by your word. Psalm 119:107 NCV.

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds." Psalm 147:3 NCV.

The tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18 NIV.

The Wilderness Outdoors  Never give up hope! Those who keep hope, who keep on doing everything they can to survive and be rescued, often live through seemingly impossible situations.

The Wilderness of the Heart  Never give up hope! Even when painful circumstances do not change, even when God seems to be working too slowly or not at all, He is faithful. He knows your pain, He listens to your cries for help, and He will never abandon you.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5 NIV.
Blessed is he . . . whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-the Lord, who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:5-6 NIV.

Therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3:21-22 NIV.

Many books in your local library have wilderness survival information. God has given us a survival manual for the times we feel alone, sad, or afraid, too. That book is called the Bible. It is a resource of help and encouragement for those who seek to survive the wilderness of pain and heartache.

Sources: The Gazette Telegraph, April 25, 1996, "Preparation Ensures Worry-Free Adventure," by Deb Acord; Greg Wiggins, Quest Survival School, Monument, CO. Bible versions used: New Century Version, New International Version, and New American Standard Bible."