Wilderness Times
Interestingly, with all that is going on in our world today with this “Covid19” and the “social distancing” and “isolation” that is taking place….I’ve at the same time been studying on what the Bible calls “the wilderness”. The wilderness is best described in the Hebrew as an isolated, solitary place, desert, barren, confined, confused, empty place. Doesn’t sound like a very inviting or enticing place does it? I think at this time in our country, and really all over the world, people are probably feeling like they’ve just entered the “wilderness times”. People are having a hard time with being isolated and confined and certainly there is an immense amount of confusion surrounding this pandemic.
While it is certainly a very desperate situation we are living in right now, let me give you a little encouragement from our one and only source of TRUTH – GOD’S WORD. If you take some time to study the Bible in regards to the wilderness or better known as the desert times, you will see that many of God’s choice servants went through isolated, alone times as well. Here’s a few…..We’ve got Moses, who was lead by God into the wilderness with all the Israelites (600,000 men plus all the women and children….what a babysitting job! yikes). What should have been a 3 day trip ….. took 40 years guys! That’s a long time in a “desert place”, a “solitary place”, a “barren place”. Remember, Moses was heading for the promised land. He probably was thinking they’d be sitting back relaxing by the weekend…eating off the good of the land and recalling all God did. Not so much! There was a faster route but God did not take them that way…. He (God) chose the longer journey. Then we’ve got David, who was in one moment anointed as a youth to become king, and in the next moment he was back out tending the sheep…. he was in a pasture ……NOT ON A THRONE. He didn’t reach his position as king until the age of 30! Lot’s of years in an isolated, confined, and most likely confused place since he knew he was supposed to reign as king. Then we’ve got the Apostle Paul. After Paul’s (previously Saul) conversion (conversion…. More like God knocked Saul upside the head and off his horse- thats a whole different message) it was years before Paul stepped into his great apostolic ministry. And then, our greatest teacher of all, Jesus. We hear of Jesus birth, we hear about him at 8 years old, again at 12 where he “sat among the the teachers, listening and asking questions”, and then nothing until Jesus arrives on the scene at 30 years old. There it is again…. that isolated, confined, solitary place. All these chosen servants, including our Lord and savior Jesus, had a time that they experienced the wilderness… a time set aside….a time “alone” for growth and opportunity to grow in intimacy with their Heavenly Father. For it is ONLY IN KNOWING HIM that we can fully understand His love for us and for others. (Ephesians 3:19, “That you may come to KNOW HIM practically, through personal experience for yourself the LOVE OF CHRIST, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience; that you may be filled through all of your being unto all the fullness of God that you have the richest measure of HIS DIVINE PRESENCE, and become a body WHOLLY FILLED AND FLOODED WITH GOD HIMSELF”!!!
In this time of barren isolation….. make a decision to grow close to your Father!! Pull into HIM!! Get to know WHO HE IS….HIS CHARACTER….HIS LOVE FOR YOU! Sit with Him. No music, no reading, no schedule, no prayers for what you need (He already knows what you need) Just sit!! Love Him and let Him love you! This is the time for growth guys…. let’s come out of this wilderness time full of wisdom and understanding of the very Author of our Faith!! Blessings!
SELAH!
