Wilderness
Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash
Audio transcription:
Shalom, brethren. Today I want to talk about wilderness. Maybe some of you have been there, others not - but this is what I have discovered about it. Wilderness is the state of being in isolation, is the state of being in the midst of the ocean or desert, and is the state where you feel like you are empty - you are spiritually empty, hungry for Christ, is the state where you feel like things are not working out your way, whatever you are doing is not working out, no one understands you. To me that is wilderness. It's also where you feel like you want to be by yourself, you want to be alone - that is isolation. Yeah, that is wilderness.
We go into wilderness because of very many reasons: one, when you feel like God is very far away from you, you can end up being in the wilderness. When you feel like you want to be more closer to God, you can end up in the wilderness. I can give an example of myself. In the beginning of this very month of April I was in there and I was in the same state. I feel like God is very far away from me. I feel like no one understands me. I feel like whatever I'm trying to do, it's like it's not working out, everything is the other way around. So I ended up going in fasting because I was in the state of asking, What? Why is everything like this? I had a lot of why, why, why. So the week towards Easter, what is called the Holy Week, I dedicated to Jesus. And this was my prayer, I told Jesus I want to hear from you. I feel like I'm very far away from me, but I want to be more closer to you and I decided to dedicate that week to him. I fasted for 7 days: no food, no drink - and everyone was like, Are you crazy? And I'm like, No, I'm not crazy!
And what surprised me - when you feel like God, the spirit of the Lord, is very far away from you, to him it is like he's very near you, he's very close to you - but that's what is surprising! So I entered fasting and I felt like God is far away, the Spirit is far away. But when I started fasting I started to feel like he's very near me, he's very close to me. I don't know what blocks us to feel him or to see him during that time. But if you really pay attention to him you realize that he's very near you or very close. So in that in that time I got peace in me, it is the time I feel like I'm beginning a new season or a new chapter in my life, it is the time I feel like God is taking me to greater things.
Yeah, even I can also give an example of Jesus, in Matthew chapter 4 from verse 1 up to 11. We see Jesus being led in the in the desert for 40 days, 40 nights. But in this time is when the devil came and started to trick him or to tempt him. Because Jesus was not weak, because the spirit of the Lord was upon him, he overcame all the temptations. And from there we see him, after going through that, we see him starting his ministry. This gave me a lesson that whenever we feel like things are not working out in our way, things are the other way around, whenever you feel like you are in the desert, is the exact time where God is lifting you up. That's the lesson I got: it is the exact time God is taking you to the greater things.
That scripture encouraged me so, so much. It's really encouraged me, so I want to encourage you, brothers and sisters, that it’s okay to feel like you are in the wilderness, to feel like you are lonely, you feel like you're empty, it's okay - but know one thing: that whenever you feel like that, just know that God is calling you, God wants to hear from you, God wants to hear you out, God is seeking your heart. Just be attentive, just submit to him and allow him to speak to you or to minister to you.
So for me I can say I'm grateful for being in the wilderness, because I learned a lot of things. In Hebrews it says Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. So Jesus is the same when things are okay, he's still the same when you feel like things are not working out, he's still the same when things are very okay, when you have overcome: He's the same. So let me encourage you that it doesn't matter what people think, it doesn't matter if people say you are crazy - it's okay. If people are not understanding you, it's okay. But what matters is God understands you, God understands your heart. So be ready for the wilderness and put in mind that God is taking you far. Just know that it's the starting point for the better things if you overcome.
And I just want to tell you to be sensitive spiritually, because sometimes this thing is of two ways: another side, another part of it - if you are not spiritually alert, you can end up in a bad state. How? For example, if Jesus was not filled with the whole Spirit, there is no way how he will be able to overcome the devil. But because he was filled, that's the reason why he overcame that. So we need to know that if we are in that state of wilderness, the devil is at work. He’s looking for you, because you feel that you are empty, the devil as at work to whisper in your ears, to trick you: so, be alert! Yeah, may God bless you for that and I pray that he minister or he speaks to you individually. May God bless you as you listen to this!
About the author: Emma is an All Nations fieldworker serving God among a neglected people group in Africa.
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