03/10/2022
How many times have we been led by the Spirit into a wilderness of some type, and to what end were we led there? Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, but we really don’t know what went on there during those forty days prior to the three temptations except that he fasted, and became hungry. What we do know is that at the end of His time in the wilderness He successfully faced the temptations that we are so familiar with. So what is it that takes 40 days to accomplish that can prepare us to face such trials?
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
Matthew 4:1-2 ESV
Moses spent 40 days on the mountain with God. Elijah travelled 40 days without eating to Mt. Horeb to meet with God, and Jesus spent 40 days prior to His temptation. In each of these cases a man was prepared to be with, talk to, and serve God. When we are led into a wilderness by the Holy Spirit we can rest assured that something amazing is about to happen in our lives. We might experience hardship, pain, or some manner of suffering, but in the end God will have spoken with us, or revealed something of Himself to us that will have prepared us for what lies ahead. We should never dread, or feel abandoned when we are in the wilderness because we will never be closer to God in our lives than right then.
“There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””
1 Kings 19:9 ESV
When I was a boy scout we would go on long hikes, camp in remote places, and stay in places of incredible solitude and beauty. The goal of the scouting program was to teach us how to survive in the wilderness, but for me there was so much more to this experience… it brought me closer to God until one day He spoke to me, and rescued me, as I was drowning alone in a lake. That moment in my life changed me forever, and set me on a course of growing in God and Jesus Christ that continues to this day.
“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.””
Exodus 3:2-5 ESV
God speaks to us in various wildernesses, and although we might have gone there intentionally to find Him, quite often it surprises us. Elijah was running for his life when he entered the wilderness, but Moses had no idea that God would come to him he was simply tending sheep. Jesus was led into the wilderness so He knew what was about to happen, but the day I nearly drowned I had no idea, that day began like any other day for me… similar to how Samuel heard God call him on a night not in like any other…
“At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”
1 Samuel 3:2, 7-9 ESV
These are examples that I have recalled for us today so that when such things happen to any one of us, even to you, then we will be ready, and prepared to recognize the voice… and to respond “Here I am!” Perhaps something horrific, some sorrow, or a time if suffering will make us go into the wilderness seeking an encounter with the Lord. Maybe we will be there for a purpose totally unrelated to our faith and He will come to us. Or, perhaps we will be sent there. Whatever the reason might be that leads us into that barren place, it will change our lives. When the wind has blown, the rocks are all broken, the ground has shaken, the fire has burnt itself out, the water has covered us and filled our lungs, or we have simply become still… God will make Himself known to us, to you, and He will speak.
The wilderness, the quiet places, the silent moments of solitude, these are where God reveals Himself most incredibly. In these places we suddenly find ourselves barefooted, and standing on Holy Ground. These are times we are bathed in the glory, and presence of God in a way that we have never felt Him before. This is when God comes amazingly close, calls our name, gives us direction, and we receive an understanding of His will for us… this is when He tells us to lead my people, deliver a word or the gospel for me, prophesy to a person or a nation, and in my life… to write what He gives me because Jesus is returning to claim His bride.
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.””
Jeremiah 30:1-3 ESV
What will the wilderness experience be for each of us? What will it be for you, and will you be ready when it comes?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the times we spend in the wilderness with you. Thank you for every hardship, or labored breath we take there. Thank you for revealing yourself in the quiet, and stillness that follows every storm. Teach us to obey Lord, to humble ourselves before you, and to remove our shoes as we walk the Holy Ground that surrounds you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God, who increases our faith, and speaks to us in the desolate places of life, and the world. Praised your name for separating us from all else, and transforming us into a holy people, set aside for you alone. Merciful are you, and your grace that abounds in Christ is sufficient for us. Your grace gives us hope, feeds us in the wilderness, and quenches our thirst with living water in the deserts of our lives. Father, wash us in the blood of Jesus, and remove every sin. Make us worthy as He is worthy, and call us your own. Seat us before you at your table and feed us the eternal manna of your Word forevermore.
Rich Forbes