04/05/2022
We look out across the wilderness and think to ourselves that this is a desolate place of danger, where people face hard challenges, and meet death face to face, but for the believer this is not the case. The wilderness is a place that only the hand of God has groomed; an untamed place that man has not cultivated, or brought under his control. Like Jacob, this is where we meet God in solitude, to be nourished by Him, and to whisper with Him in prayer.
““He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”
Deuteronomy 32:10 ESV
This is also where God gives us hope, and a portion, then helps us to make it our own. This is where God transformed Israel from a lost people and gave them the Promised Land, and this is where Jesus not only met with temptation, but began His ministry, and was sent to redeem the fallen world. When we are led into our various wildernesses we should not be afraid, but shout out “Here I am Father!”, then still ourselves, and listen for His tender voice.
““Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:14-15 ESV
To those who are not of faith the wilderness is a daunting place, and can be a terrifying place, but for those who believe it is inhabited by God, and in it we will hear His will for us. Second only to the mountain, the wilderness is the most holy of places. God told Moses how to build an altar there, and it was not to be of cut stone, or look like it was made by the hand of man. They were to worship Him there, but not to defile this place. Listen…
“An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.”
Exodus 20:24-25 ESV
So when we find ourselves on the edge of a wilderness like Moses did while herding his sheep, we should not be surprised to hear God’s voice, and we can expect to be led into the heart of that wilderness where we will be transformed and returned to what we were at the moment of man’s creation… made perfect by the blood of His Son Jesus, and once again innocent, righteous, and unstained by sin. Here in the wilderness we will remove our manmade shoes, and tread with the bare feet that God made… because this is truly holy ground.
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 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 3:1-5 ESV
How do we view the various wildernesses when we approach them? Do they frighten us, or excite us? Do we approach them expecting to meet God? Are we led into them and immediately begin to build our lives from cut stone, or do we take off our shoes and build altars of earth as we worship without defiling this holy ground? There are times and places for men to build, but there are others that are Holy… mountains and wildernesses that are God’s alone. Are we prepared to meet Him there, and leave no trace of ourselves to spoil it?
“And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.”
Luke 9:33-36 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the holy ground you lead us to, and for meeting us there. Thank you for revealing your will to us, and instructing us to go about obeying you without altering a single Word, or intention you have shown us. Teach us to journey into the wilderness, to look for you, and to listen intently as we walk. Show us a burning bush that isn’t consumed, and tell us to remove our shoes before you. Instruct us to build an altar of earth, or loose stones, and to worship you there. Let our corner be uncut, and our reverence be perfect in its natural state. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who meets us on your mountain, leads us through the wildernesses, and who blesses us there. Praised be your name for those places that man has not altered, or attempted to improve by His efforts. Praised be your name as we meet you there, and receive your will for us. Let no wilderness that is holy to you be claimed by man as his own, and no mountain that you inhabit be defiled by the shoes of men. Meet us at the edge of your wildernesses, and lead us through them just as your Holy Spirit led Jesus. Merciful are you Lord, and your grace is sufficient for us. Wash us in the blood of Christ, and purify us from the top of our heads to the soles of our feet as we prepare to hear your voice, and tread on your holy ground for all eternity. Praised be your name now and forevermore for you are glorious, loving, and mighty beyond description.
Rich Forbes