You would probably never think that been led to a dry and barren place is a good thing, but God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose. And I have come to learn that sometimes the wilderness is in His purpose for us and that is exactly where we need to be for our character and faith in God to be built. However, we must understand that we must play our part in the wilderness or else it could be a very bad experience for us that may have dire consequences if we don’t submit to God’s hands and trust and obey Him. Ask the Israelites. God delivered them out of Egyptian captivity and knew if He led them through the shortest distance to the Promised Land then they might not want to fight the people land, which we know now as Gaza, so He choose the way through the wilderness that they might not change their minds when they encountered the Philistines and would want to return to Egypt.
Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 13:17-18
Sometimes the shortest route is not the best route, this is why we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit because shortcuts may cost us a lot more than we bargain for. Nevertheless, the Israelites were not supposed to spend so long in the wilderness, but they were a rebellious complaining people who even made a golden calf as their god because they did not want to wait on the God who is above all other Gods. The wilderness shows what is really going on in our hearts. The Israelites had hardened hearts and so a journey which would have been much less than a month took forty years in the wilderness and a whole generation died out except for two who believed and obeyed God.
Elijah had his own wilderness experience, which he started on his own as he was running from the evil queen, Jezebel. He isolated himself and wanted to die, but God’s angel touched him and fed him to strengthen him as this angel was sending him on a forty day and forty night trek through the desert which ended up in a cave, where the word of the Lord came to him. He was given instructions to go to the mountain and stand before the Lord and after a strong wind, an earthquake and fire, then he heard the still small voice of the Lord. His journey through the wilderness may have better enabled him to hear God’s voice as he had no distracting voices for forty days before this encounter with God. So, although we may feel isolated in the wilderness, God is allowing us to move away from all the distractions so we can better hear His still small voice.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:4-12
God shows us we can depend on Him when there is no one else around to depend on in the wilderness. Even Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil after He was baptized by His cousin, John. You might wonder why God would allow such a thing. But this Second Adam did not fall into the deceiver’s trap as the first Adam did, showing that He would bring life rather than death and separation from God which occurred after Adam and Eve fell into Satan’s trap.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Matthew 4:1-2
Jesus was hungry, but still did not turn stone into bread as the devil dared Him to as He knew that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Would we have discerned the enemy’s trap, or would we have turned stone into bread if we could? God leads us into the wilderness so we can answer this question for ourselves. He knows our heart, but often we really don’t know what is going on with our heart as it is deceptive above all else and even leads us to deceive ourselves. God can plough our hard hearts while we are in the wilderness so He can plant seeds which will be rooted and grounded in Jesus so that we can bear good fruit. The wilderness journey often gives God time alone with us to do this if we surrender to the work of the Master Gardener’s hand as He shapes us into His image and likeness.
Comments