Most of our spiritual wildernesses are the result of wrong exepctations of God. We expect a blessing to come in a particular way, and then become discouraged or worse, resentful, when things don't happen as we expect them to.
I have to confess that I have a tendency to become discouraged in my ministry, and sometimes it feels like I am walking through a long wilderness time at the moment.
I was talking to God this morning. The conversation went something like this:
"Lord, how long will this wilderness go for?"
"As long as it takes."
"That's not very helpful. Can you be more specific?"
"The length of the wilderness is up to you. Will you embrace the wilderness? Will you rejoice in my grace, regardless?"
"I already embraced the wilderness, Lord"
"No you have endured it; all the time you have been looking for succes and significance in things other than me. When you truly seek your significance only in me, then the wilderness will be over-- regardless of your outward signs of success."
Our experiences of desertion by God come because we do not seek Him in the correct state of heart.
The wilderness strips away the deception that we are right with God because He has blessed us.
The wilderness challenges our belief that we can do something for God.
The wilderness burns away our seeking for significance in any form other than the grace of God.
Embrace the wilderness experience.
Pursue God through the desert, and He will become for you streams of living water.
Shalom
So many times, people get sactimonious or preachy when they talk about God, as if their's is the only path to glory and the rest of us are doomed because we may not agree, 100%.
ReplyDeleteYou, sir, offered a wisdom. Thank you.
I nearly passed this post by and I am glad I stopped for a moment to read. I am in the wilderness myself and have been for too long. Which may explain why I get upset with the sanctimonious or the preachy.
K4
And what's more: He has something sensible to say.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of letters in a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteHi KayFour,I'm glad you enjoyed my post.Keith
ReplyDeleteMaranatha Pastor, my name is John Walaza from a 7th Day Adventist Church in Ceturion, Gauteng, South africa. I have been searching for this particular sermon on Walking in Wilderness with God, since September 2005. It has uplifted me so much spiritually. I want to it with my brothers and sisters here in my area especially the youth. Please help me prepare a good Sermon by the Grace of God, on the same Topic. Thank you. God Bless you. J Walaza
ReplyDeleteHi Brother john,I'm glad my little reflection has blessed you. Please share it with the brothers and sisters in your area.Philip Yancey has written books on a similar theme. "Disappointment with God" springs to mind.The mystics in the Middle Ages used to call it the "Dark Night of the Soul." This is the time when God seems so distant and we are forced to just keep going onwards in faith.BlessingsKeith
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