Charles Spurgeon, an English preacher from another century, is credited with saying:
Moses spent the first 40 years of his life thinking he was somebody; the next 40 thinking he was a nobody; and the next 40 finding out what God can do with a nobody.
It is the middle 40 that has caught my eye for this post. One of my readers wrote me a personal email and said this:
Oftentimes the things we find most pleasurable in our human experience, turn into our pains. God calls us into the wilderness, where he speaks comfortably to us. For myself, I’ve often been driven into the wilderness, only to find myself wanting out. “Things were better before,” the human mind says. Back to Egypt. God wants all of our attention. No distractions allowed. Friends disappear. Family members who were not good to be around, gone. Pastimes, vacations, etc, poof! Gone. But the promises are of pools of water springing up and gardens growing in that wilderness. I think this is where we find that Jesus’ first great commandant can be reversed to say, God loves us with all his….
That is a mouth full of truth. It was in the wilderness Moses had time to reflect on his past. It was also in the wilderness he saw the burning bush. I seriously doubt he would have seen that bush living in Pharaoh’s court, in that privileged environment. He had to run to the wilderness to be in the place of hearing from God. But it was also in wilderness he had N-O-T-H-I-N-G. No privilege. No servants. No respect (unless the sheep gave it to him). He had none of his birth family around. His rich & entitled friends were all gone. Gone was reading from scrolls of higher education. Gone was bathing in the Nile, waited on by lowly minions.
But it was in this lonely wilderness God got his attention. I think sometimes God brings us to the point of having nothing, when we realize we have nothing but Him. Need nothing but Him. We find Him renewing us, changing us, refining us, washing us clean, then one day telling us, “Go back into the fray. You’re ready.”
The wilderness is not a “fun” place to be or to go. Sometimes we run there like Moses did-to escape. Sometimes we are driven there by our own guilt and weariness and inattention. But we know this!
GOD WILL MEET US IN THE WILDERNESS… WITHOUT A DOUBT!
Thanks to my reader for the personal and challenging email. (I welcome those). Have you been/are you in the wilderness? What did you do and what are you doing to get out? Did God meet you there? How?
This one got to me. So close to my still broken heart. But without that wound, I would not have reached out to know God. Thanks for this post. Blessings.
You did the right thing Daniel. You reached out to God. Glad the post was helpful.
Yes–I’ve been there. And God met me there–showing again and again that his grace is sufficient.
Always true to His Word.
I was in it for sometime. I fought to get out and couldn’t. When I finally accepted that He might leave me there, He brought me out. Looking back I grew to know Him more, but it wasn’t until I got out and got some perspective.
We often can’t see the forest for the trees. Grew to know Him more…that’s what it is all about.
We, like sheep, follow our appetites and wander far off into the wilderness at times. We’d eat ourselves right off the edge of a cliff were it not for our Savior who brings us home…time and again.
For sure Steve.
I used to take the kids to the BWWA.(A wilderness area between US and Canada)We canoed while we were there. It was no problem getting out. No, God didn’t meet us there but we did see the Northern Lights.
Sounds like a fun time. I venture to say without a “God-agenda” you may have a bit of trouble meeting Him there. Although I wouldn’t count Him out. 🙂
If it were not for the occasional oasis in the wilderness, I would not be able to stand. One thing that has helped recently is I joined the ladies Bible study at my church on Tuesday morning. We are studying Daniel and his prophecies. Now there is some encouragement.
And frankly, I have to get dragged kicking and screaming most of the time to get me into the desert.
no one likes the desert Susan. Glad you have found an oasis.
Those that belong to God will find themselves in obedience sooner or later. He has the power to reveal Himself in any manner He chooses, it’s all His. He also breaks the stubborn and strong… in love, just the way He did the Israelites.
I’ve been broken, completely finished and at the end when I laid my pride down onto filthy carpet through tears and my face buried in it… It was the new beginning… I was changed forever. That was almost twenty years ago now and it is the worst thing that has ever happened to me… and it is the best thing that ever happened to me… by a long shot.
That brokenness is not a fun place to be, but sometimes a necessary place. I have been there and out.
Dead on. I’m glad God isn’t just in it to make me “happy,” because then I’d never get what’s actually best.
Many mistake following God’s call for “I will be happy happy happy all the rest of my days.” Wrong. Thanks Stephen.
In the book we’re currently doing discussions on (The Fire of Delayed Answers by Bob Sorge), he keeps talking about invoking and inviting the fire of God in our lives. Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to prepare Him for the next step, earthly ministry. We don’t go to the wilderness because we like or enjoy pain. We go because God is the only One who can satisfy us, meet our hunger. Great thoughts, Bill. Thanks for sharing this.
I can’t add anything to this Jason. Those sentences “We don’t go…hunger” are jewels. Thanks for the comment.
I’m perpetually in the wilderness. I’m sure God keeps nodding His head, thinking, “Will she ever learn?” The wilderness I’m stuck in now, didn’t start that way. I’m an optimist, how do I fall in these traps, over and over again? (Am I giving Satan the benefit of the doubt? No..) The present Wilderness, as everyone knows, is the inconvenience of having a retired husband under foot, in my house, ( he bought for me.) My mind starting ticking when I read an entry in my OVCF LBS Malachi, (I had done this study with ECC in Jan., right after Gary retired.) It went like this… “Retirement! More time with Gary. At first I felt like I’m giving up my way of life, my freedom. Now I’m seeing God is overhauling our relationship, bringing us to a point where we are better than ever!” Now wait, see this has nothing to do with me! What happened? Gary is the problem. Then as I was viewing the video for the present ECC LBS, One in a Million, I had the “Aha!” Moment. This study is about The Exodus and the 30 day journey, that took forty years, with only two guys reaching the destination. (Well let me tell you, I would have jumped in and said, “God… Hey… I know a shorter route, a more scenic route, going through quaint little burgs and it’s ocean views all the way! Follow me!” I was a travel agent, I know! Then it continues and goes into why that way wasn’t so safe and God lead them through the “Wilderness Experience,” so they would learn to place their trust in Him. That is when it really dawned on me. I’m a hiker, walking in circles on the pavement is not “where it is at!” Breathing in the fresh air, being one with nature, talking to the critters, seeing the Natural wonders, (God’s Creations), sweating, going one more hill, feeling revived! I’ve been on beau coup, mega wilderness journeys with God, they are NOT a fun experience. I kick and fight all the way through and discover that “His” path is always the easiest in the long run. He gives me what I need, rarely what I want, and gets me to where I should be with all the “right stuff.” Some have even ended in major blessings. Anyway this is where the “Aha!” Came in… This major inconvenience is a Wilderness experience, ( who would have known?) it is all about me. I didn’t recognize it because it wasn’t a tragedy, a devastating, end of the world event. So I’ve been going with the flow, with God, for a week now. It has been a very enjoyable and productive week for us both and for us as a couple. Could it be that I can go through a Wilderness experience with God and it be an enjoyable situation? That’s a new one for me but sounds like a super plan to me! Trust in The Lord, don’t wait nine months…
There are so many different reasons for being in the desert. So glad to hear you have said, “Ok Lord, it is your show and not mine.” It will thrill you what God can and will do in your lives.
The Bible lesson the kids and I did put a different spin on the early church than I’d heard before. It suggested that the early disciples would not have left Jerusalem if not for the persecution of Saul (Paul). Even before he was redeemed, Paul was being used by God. If not for the wilderness, where would Moses have been?
It’s made me wonder about so many of us being discontent with things at church. I don’t think we’re supposed to be all comfy in our churches. I think we’re supposed to get out and share the Gospel. The problems we have may be what finally gets us into the wilderness where the Lord’s work awaits. I’m not suggesting we leave our churches, but that the focus of our work isn’t there anymore. Maybe it never was.
I think that lesson may have been spot on Melanie. They were comfortable there. Converts by the droves. Their world was uprooted and in a big way they uprooted the world with the Gospel. As for the church comfort: I go along with you. We have become too comfortable. Thanks for the comment.
Great post! I think about Moses often: how he had it all, found by a princess in the river, raised in the palace in the greatest empire of the world… to living in the desert herding sheep. Yet, as you mentioned so well, that is where his life transformed and God met him. And from that, He called him back to the that empire to bring justice and freedom. I often say that it’s in the alley (an urban metaphor for wilderness) that we grow the most. Great reminder!
Love your take Dave. i also feel we grow the most in the wilderness. Thanks for coming by.
LOVE this reminder, Bill “But it was in this lonely wilderness God got his attention.” That’s certainly the season when we seem most receptive to His voice.
I agree about being receptive Eileen. When junk is flying and we have nowhere else to turn, He is there.