Your Wilderness Is Bigger Than You!预览

I grew up with strict parents.

My parents often said "no" to what my friends' parents said "yes." I was consistently frustrated with the rules I had to follow, which seemed so different from the ones my friends were under. As a teenager, I doubted I was an easy child to parent because of my annoyance at the structure, which made me feel like "the only one" who had to live this way.

Navigating teenage years is hard. Lack of confidence, changing bodies, and flexing social dynamics make life difficult enough. But when you add in the feeling of being alone, things get tough!

If you've ever felt like you're "the only one" in any arena of life, you have a friend in the Bible. His name is Elijah. God used the most famous prophet of the Old Testament in profound ways. Elijah declared a drought, and it didn't rain for four years. Elijah called down fire from heaven, and the sky exploded, consuming the water-soaked offering on the altar. He stood up to the most wicked king and queen in Biblical history, Ahab and Jezebel.

However, Elijah eventually ended up on the run, exhausted and ready to die. (I share that story in another YouVersion plan entitled "Get Me Out of the Wilderness.") Later, Elijah had a profound encounter with God at Mt. Sinai, where Moses met with God and received the 10 Commandments.

God invited Elijah to share his struggles. At the end of Elijah's rant, Elijah noted that he was the only one who had remained faithful within the nation of Israel, as Ahab and Jezebel had encouraged the people to worship the false gods of Baal and Ashteroth.

Later, God replies with a new mandate for Elijah's final season of prophetic leadership and ends with a reassuring comment: "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him."

Do you want to hear Scott's translation? "Elijah, you may feel alone, but seven thousand others are just like you!"

When we end up in the wilderness, we often feel alone. Suffering and seasons of disorientation have a way of separating us from others. Sometimes, other people struggle to understand what we are experiencing and feeling. Other times, we push people away in our pain and discomfort.

However, the resounding message we see throughout the Bible is the third truth I want to share about the wilderness - you are not alone! You are not the only one seeking to be faithful, even in the wilderness. Other people have not compromised and are seeking to follow God faithfully, too.

Your wilderness is bigger than you. And because others are in a similar wilderness, you can encourage each other. Some of the best friendships I have today came from discovering someone else who was struggling like me. One of my best friends is another pastor who led through really challenging circumstances during the chaos of 2020.

When we are in a place we never intended to be, we often find others in a place they never intended to be. With empathy and understanding, we can encourage and strengthen one another. As the writer of Proverbs notes, we can pick each other up when we fall. We can speak the truth when the enemy's lies dominate our thoughts.

As I write these words, I pray that God will open your eyes to people He wants you to see in your wilderness. Like Elijah's successor, Elisha, I'm asking God to show you there are others here, too. You may feel alone, but God has not abandoned you. I'm praying for God to provide a friend or two who can be your companion as you walk through your current wilderness.

Tomorrow, we'll wrap up this plan as we look at where the power comes from so as not to be defeated in the wilderness. Because I'm guessing you feel inadequate to face this wilderness in your power today. See you soon!