The Wilderness預覽

1st day. The purpose of the wilderness

Part of the Christian life is a journey through the wilderness. The wilderness is an inevitable part of our walk with the Lord. You might ask, “What is the wilderness and what is the purpose of the wilderness?”

The wilderness is a place or a season all of us go through where our faith is tested, our character is built, our heart is exposed, and our true nature comes forth. The wilderness is the place God uses to humble us and to test us, as stated in Deuteronomy 8:2-3. To be in the wilderness is not a sin or a punishment, it just means that you have a promise to inherit and God is busy equipping you to take hold of the promise. God is a holy God and all He does is good for us. God knows best and that is why He knows that sometimes our attitudes, character, and even our faith will not suffice when we inherit the promise. That is why God allows us to enter the wilderness or even leads us there Himself like in the case of Israel (Exodus 13:18) and even Jesus Himself (Matthew 4:1).

So, God’s purpose for us when we go through the wilderness is to test us and teach us how to depend on Him. I know it is difficult, even seems impossible at times but God never left the children of Israel abandoned in the wilderness. Every day He was there to lead them with the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22), providing manna as food every morning (Exodus 16:4-5). He revealed to them that He is the God of wonders and love through bringing water from a rock (Exodus 17:6), and protection against the enemy (Exodus 17:8-13). He even established them as a nation with laws and principles (Exodus 20:1-17) on how to conduct themselves as God’s elect. Sadly, numerous children of Israel did not inherit the promised land because of disobedience, unfaithfulness, and having the wrong mentality throughout their journey in the wilderness.

Let’s just get something straight here, God’s will is NOT for you to die in the wilderness, the wilderness is merely a tool God uses to equip you so you can inherit the Promised Land. The Promised Land for the believer in Christ might not be a physical piece of land as in the case of Israel, but our promised land is the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of God down to earth, so all who believe in Him can inherit the Kingdom and receive the abundant blessings thereof.

So be of good cheer brother and sister, the wilderness is not the end of the road, God didn’t leave you, you are not alone, you are not on the wrong path. Now is the time to pursue God even more and seek His face more diligently, for He is there with you. You just need to look for Him. God wants to accomplish some things through you, and He needs to impart more of Him in you. The wilderness is one of the ways God uses to let us decrease “self” to receive more of “Him”.