Wilderness

  "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,

returned from the Jordan and was led

by the Spirit in the desert,

where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.

He ate nothing during those days,

and at the end of them he was hungry. . .

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,

and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

He taught in their synagogues,

and everyone praised him."

Luke 4:1-2, 14-15

His tongue was swollen and sticking to the roof of His mouth.  Hunger became His friend as He followed the Source through the dry and arid place.  There was nothing of beauty there, only suffering, yet He was not without Comfort.  Peace enveloped Him as His stomach rumbled and His lips cracked.  He took consolation from the thought that this was not without purpose but was all a part of the great Plan.  

I have gone through many wilderness times in my life:  Periods when it seemed like God had left me, when I didn't know which way was up and my faith seemed shaky.  Despite how these interludes appeared, they were times of intense preparation meant to ready me for something bigger.  

How is He training me today?  What difficulty am I enduring with frustration, longing to reach the other end?  How is God using this time for His glory?

Power of the Spirit

As a former military wife, I like to think of myself as being pretty self-sufficient.  If something in the house breaks, I'll take a crack at repairing it.  Moving furniture is not a job I feel the need to wait for my husband to help me with, instead I forge ahead and finish the task with gusto.  Outside work does not intimidate me; in fact I rather enjoy getting down in the dirt transplanting a bush or spraying the trees for pests.  I'm a typical independent, self-reliant woman.

The problem is, I can't be a modern-day autonomous female and a follower of Christ.  What I mean is that a believer is called to be dependent on God, reliant on Him and empty of self; characteristics that go drastically against my natural 21st-Century way of thinking.

God takes me through dry and difficult times in the wilderness to empty me of myself, remind me of my weak state and reiterate my need for Jesus.  Without Him, I am nothing.  When I forget these truths, I tend to rely on myself and don't tap into the power of the Spirit of God.  

The Apostle Paul explained that God used a weakness to humble him, reminding him that, "'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"  Therefore, Paul confessed that it's his very fragile human state in  which he will rejoice because, ". . .when I am weak, then I am strong." (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Oswald Chambers compares God's power to a river.  He says, "If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others."  I have nothing to do with this flow: it comes from the Source as long as I am open to Him and empty of myself.

The times in the desert work to humble me and readjust my priorities to where God is squarely in the center of all things and the only source of power.

Open Doors

An open door can signify free access such as when a professor says, "Stop by my office at anytime.  I have an open door policy."  It can also represent a nation's willingness to trade freely with other countries.  Doors also have long been symbols of opportunity.  When a door stands open, the message is that I am welcome to walk through, seizing the opportunity.  If, however, an access-way is closed, it is not my time.

Everything works on God's timetable.  (Proverbs 16:9)  He is never late.  (2 Peter 3:8-9)  He is the one with the master plan.  (Jeremiah 29:11)  For these reasons, I must trust God with the times He has placed me in a barren place.  As I seemingly wallow in futility, God is putting all the pieces in place, making the path ready for my feet to traverse.  

John the Baptist went through a long time of preparation in the desert for his important mission; to prepare the way for the Lord.  (Luke 1:80 John 1:22-23) He needed to wait for Jesus to grow to a certain age, for specific men who would be the disciples of the Lord to be in place, and for God's timing to fit His plan.  

John knew his purpose and he could very well have tired of waiting, desired a better life than one of a vagabond in the wilderness or doubted God's plan.  Instead, he stayed where God had placed him until the time was right for him to begin his public duty.

I easily grow tired of difficult circumstances, dreary surroundings or less-than-desirable occupations.  But if I can trust God's timetable, it won't be long before it will be time to move into His greater purpose for my life.  Meanwhile, I can learn to be content in the wilderness.

The times in the desert serve as a holding area, giving God leeway to work until it's my time to go.

Praise to Jesus

I naturally cry very easily.  I have found this trait to be extremely frustrating as it makes it difficult for me to express what is in my heart; the tears get in the way of my ability to speak.  For those who know me, they see how much I struggle with this trait.  But when God is speaking through me, He gives me the power to get His message out with nary a catch in my throat.  All the glory goes to Him because everyone knows I am naturally unable to express myself very well.

In the same way, when I am filled with His Spirit after an arid time, He gets all the glory for whatever He does through me.  Just as people heard Jesus teach with authority and knew there was something special about Him, others will recognize His power once I come out of the desert.

The result of a time of difficulty and trial is that the name of Jesus will be lifted up on high.  Like when my friend's cancer defied all the odds and went away without a trace.  No one would have guessed that after all the suffering she endured that she would one day be standing there as a living testimony to the power and sovereignty of God.

It is hard to imagine how another friend would praise God as she told me of all the pain her body endured.  She knew that every breathe she took was a gift from the Almighty and trusted Him with her life, despite the suffering.  

Only the power of God could explain how a woman who endured a horrible divorce could come out on the other side as a humble creature willing to give God all the honor and glory for who she is and how her life turned out.

Difficulties are not the end.  Instead, they are a tool used by God to prepare me for a time when I will give Him all the praise. 

My purpose in life is to bring glory to God.  Sometimes this means spending time in a place where it seems there is no glory.  As I endure the preparations, molding and humbling, I'm giving God a chance to put all things in place.  Then, as His power flows through me, Jesus will get all the praise.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on Jesus, especially through the difficulties.

How am I fighting God in the desert?

When do I fail to see His hand in the dry places?