God's people are living in a desert. When Moses tells them that God has given him plans for a 'tent of meeting' so God can dwell in amongst his people, we'd think they'd be excited. Here's how we imagine the chat: 'And, folks, it's going to have loads of treasure!' - 'Great Moses!' - 'And you're going to be providing that treasure!' - 'Hmm... actually, Moses we're not so sure about this...'

Yes, God could have provided treasure out of thin air (after all, 'he'd been providing a steady bread service). But he didn't. He wanted (and wants) the people to be involved. God wants the people to give to this tent, even from their own limited belongings (they're living with only essentials in a desert, remember). Why? Might it just be good for the people to put their money where their faith is? To be personally committed to the God in the centre of our lives?

Money has always been a touchy subject. But the model here seems to be: God gives the plan, then asks his people to fund it. God's people then make the plan happen, and have it as their own. (Psssst...God had given them everything they had in the first place, of course, but that's not today's main point). Wondering how to fund something? Start with asking God for his plan, then asking people to help you out.

So what now? What money issue are you going through at the moment? Do you have God's input for your plan yet?

What do wilderness-dwellers need most? Food? Water? Maps? If we said, 'Jesus!', that extra points for us.

The people of Israel had a list of physical needs in the desert, but underlying every need was their need for God. And he knew it. So, in one of his face-to-face chats with Moses, God gives Moses instructions for a 'tent of meeting'. God wants Moses to build a place for God to chat with him, regularly.

Amazing as that is, that closeness is available for us, too. Spending time in church, listening to sermons, hearing powerful testimonies are all great to do. But not one of those 'second-hand' stories can replace the first-hand experience of spending time with Jesus ourselves. James writes, 'Draw near to God and he will draw near to you' (James 4:8 NKJV). He wants a relationship. He wants us to get to know him.

Also, that tent of meeting was to be in the middle of the camp. God didn't want to be at the side of his people, and he doesn't want to be an aside in our life. His presence was the core of his people, and all parts of the camp saw and felt his presence at the centre. With Jesus in the centre, no problem seems anywhere near as daunting.

So what now? Put your Bible in the middle of the table. Around it, arrange the other important things in your life (phone, photos of friends, study books, work, etc.). Take a photo of your life, with Jesus at the centre. Is it accurate?

We don't need a degree in medicine to know that a diet of pizza, doughnuts and energy drinks is going to give us a few more health issues than the average five-fruit-and-veg-a-day regimen. A few thousand years ago, millions of people wandered through a desert for years, with no doctors or hospital, and only bread to eat. But, not only were they not dropping like flies, they were all strong in health. If the bread - manna - eaten every day is air-dropped straight from Heaven, it's probably going to be pretty nourishing.

The obvious lesson is to rely on God and ask him to provide us with good health. But God does want more for us than just to look to him. He also wants us to listen to what he tells us. God told Israel, 'Serve the Lord... and he will bless your bread and your water... take sickness away from the midst of you... [and] fulfil the number of your days' (Exodus 23:25-26 NKJV), and he gave them dietary laws to keep them from disease.

One of the apostle Paul's many letters instructs us: 'Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God... You are not your own' (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV). This means we have a responsibility for how we treat our bodies. God wants to bless us and wants us to make healthy choices.

So what now? Make sure you get your five-a-day today and, as you eat, thank God for giving you both food and your health.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses reminds Israel of all the amazing things God has done for them, and how he has always looked after them. Now, walking through a sea should be memorable enough on its own. Apparently not. In another wilderness miracle, God made a rock split open and enough water spring up to quench the thirst of a nation. And yet, Israel forgot, and went back to moaning.

But, before we point a finger at the Israelites and judge them for their short memory and general unfaithfulness, we reckon we're not much different. We may have been going through a tough time and prayed so much about it, and then seen God come through in a way we think we'd never forget. But then later we find ourselves thinking: 'I'll get around to spending time with God soon', or 'I wish I hadn't missed going to church all month', etc. It's all too easy to slip back into forgetfulness.

God wants us to learn from these wilderness times: no matter how hopeless we feel, relying on him is the only way forward. But, he wants us to be intimate with him even in times of abundance and peace. It's almost as if relationship with him is more important to him than any trouble we face... hmmm, that's exactly what he wants us to never forget.

So what now? Today, each time you get a drink of water, thank God for another thing he's done for you. Never forget his love, goodness and kindness.

When God's people had fled from Egypt and were making their way to the Promised Land, they spent time in the physical wilderness. In biblical stories, people were in the wilderness to do something epic or hard for God. And God would provide for them or teach them something there. But for us, a 'wilderness' is more likely to be when a person we love walks away, or education or job choices crumble before our eyes. Or it could be in a bedroom listening to our parents' marriage fall apart in a screaming match. Or it may be on a bedside chair in a cancer ward. Being in the wilderness is hard, often with no obvious direction, joy or hope. But... the 'wilderness' is also the place where God shows up most tangibly. Miracles happen in the wilderness.

Like a signpost to the nearest town with a petrol station, a pointer to God in our wilderness times is good news. In one biblical desert story, God provided a massive pillar of fire and smoke to guide his people. Today, our guide is less 'smoky', but the Bible is packed full of pointers to our God who can save, mightily. The Psalm writer said, 'Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path' (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

The Psalms are a great source of comfort when we're in the darkest times. With God, we are never alone in our wilderness.

So what now? Start at Psalm 1, and skim read through the Psalms until you find one that speaks to where you are today. Stop, read it through, then write it out.

What's the one thing in life that we want above everything else? It's different for everyone. For Hannah, it was a child. After years of not falling pregnant, Hannah could've blamed God. Instead, she turned to him. She didn't give up, but pushed harder: 'And she made a vow: 'Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant, but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life' (1 Samuel 1:11 NIV).

When life is bleak, we can easily look for something or someone to blame. Often we shake our fists at God when, as Psalm 62:8 says, 'God is our refuge.' Hannah was vulnerable and broken before God. She prayed so earnestly and deeply that the High Priest watching her pray thought she was drunk, but she said: 'I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring my soul to the Lord' (1 Samuel 1:15 NIV).

When the thing we want most isn't coming, is it our first instinct to get vulnerable with God? It can be hard. We know, and so does he know. But he's really faithful, and even though Hannah had a tough process, God gifted her an amazing son, Samuel. Next time we're in real need, let's try praying 'pouring our soul out to the Lord' style.

So what now? Spend deliberate prayerful time telling God what you need. Then, most importantly, wait and listen for his answer.