In the moment, we will want the easier and quicker path but it is in the wilderness journey of our lives where God tests, humbles, strengthens, and refines us.
As I journey through my wilderness, it can be discouraging and negative when you feel like you are the only one going through a difficult season. I was reminded by John Bevere in his book of the great examples of people in the bible who encountered their own wilderness journey. Reflecting on some of them made me realize that through the dry seasons of life is where our learning and molding begins, and that the Lord is truly preparing myself for what's in store for me.
It was shared that Abraham was a wealthy man from the city of Ur and was settled in comfort; however, he was told by God to leave EVERYTHING behind and start a journey to find a new promised land, only to find himself in a wilderness and a famine. But he subsequently became the example of true faith and the springboard of all of God's wonderful promises in the Bible.
Moses was very familiar with the actual wilderness. He was raised in Pharaoh's court as a prince, but after killing an Egyptian, he found himself on the backside of the desert watching sheep for forty years. This is where Moses was when God revealed Himself in the burning bush. Exodus 3:1-4 explains the story about Moses tending the flock when the Lord revealed himself in the burning bush. As a result of that revelation, Moses returned to Egypt and led his people out of Egypt into the wilderness.
Joseph, was the favorite son yet in his wilderness journey he was thrown in a pit by his own brothers, sold as a slave and sent to Egypt, and was later put in prison after being framed for a crime he didn't commit. However, it was in Pharaoh's dungeon where God revealed Himself to Joseph and Joseph began to interpret the dreams of the baker and the butler. (For more background story on Joseph's life, begin with Genesis 37). He turned out to be ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.
King David was prophesied by Samuel to be the next king and shortly after David found himself preparing for the throne by dwelling in caves and wandering in the wilderness. That is where God revealed Himself to David as his Shepherd and strength. John the Baptist was called to be a great prophet, yet it was in the wilderness, not in bible school, that the Lord revealed Himself to John in which he ended up living in the desert of Judea. In Luke 3:2-3 it says, ".. the Word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness, and he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (KJV).
The author shared that it was also in the wilderness where God revealed the mysteries of what would become most of the New Testament to the apostle Paul, who writes that it was God's purpose "to reveal His Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with a human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia..: (Galatians 1:16-17).
In referencing these examples of some of the great people in the bible, it shows that we are truly not alone in our wilderness journey, nor should we see this moment in our lives as punishment. This journey that we face in the wilderness is a way where God shows us amazing things that He intends to do through us in the future, and in order for us to be ready for that, God leads us straight into a wilderness journey. I love how it was pointed out that if a wilderness journey was what the great saints and our Lord Jesus experienced, then going through our own personal wilderness journey is good for ourselves too.
In the moment, we will want the easier and quicker path but it is in the wilderness journey of our lives where God tests, humbles, strengthens, and refines us. This is where He begins to to mold godly characters in us, which is a ground of preparation for the fruitful future work in His kingdom. The exciting part of enduring a wilderness journey in life is that this is the place where God reveals Himself in fresh new ways.
As I journeyed through 2020 after the passing of my sister and started 2021, it was difficult to see the good in my wilderness journey. It's difficult when you are blinded by the "why me", "why us", "but how" moments; however, as I began crawling out of the mindset of heartbreak, heaviness, and the mentality of unfairness, I began to see God working on my character and faith. Just when I thought the last trial I faced was enough character molding, I started to realize that this new wilderness journey I was facing was the next journey that would mature my faith, relationship with God, and mindset even more.
I started to see life differently from how I always pictured it. My reality was shaken, the most drastic disruption in a life story has happened. A young person who was my sister was removed from the physical reality of life. The way of the "normal" lifecycle was abruptly torn apart. It took me time to realize I was going through another trial in life. But what I've come to realize is when you're in your wilderness and inviting God to open your eyes and heart for what's next to come, what we really need to learn in this season is when God will reveal the blessing.
At this time, I am still in my wilderness journey but I have opened my eyes and heart for God to work within my life. Seeing that the normal lifecycle is not what it played out to be for my family, I've come to a thought that just maybe our mentality of our life here on earth should be viewed differently. With my sister only being 38 years old at the time she passed away, I began to think about what I wanted to accomplish in the upcoming years if I was to only live to 38. Through evaluating my life and remembering my sister's, I had a revelation for my own personal relationship.
My sister had the correct mindset. When some people saw her as too young to preach, some have opinions that women can't and shouldn't be pastors, and others just didn't want to hear the truth she was preaching using God's word, she had the correct heart, mindset, and ways of what God intended for us in this life.
If we only had a couple more years to live, how would we live it? For those of us who know the kingdom life and who are walking in the kingdom journey, how would you live your life? If I was asked years ago what I would want to accomplish if I only had a couple years left, it would of been being successful in my career, growing a business, and getting super rich! Now, none of those goals are wrong in any way but my point being is now, I want to be successful in my kingdom walk, I want to help grow the kingdom where many of us will enjoy eternity and will be included in the group where God says, " Well done, good and faithful servant". I want to be rich, but I want to be rich in God's word.
This does not negate the blessings from God if all of my goals in the world are met but if that was to happen, the kingdom mindset cannot fade. My main concern if I only had a couple of years to live would be, "Did I live my life to the fullest on earth for my relationship with God and for the kingdom". It is in the wilderness where I became more hungry and thirsty for the Lord. I didn't know what to do anymore when the pain of heartbreak was too much to bear. I was so blinded by the emotional weight and pain that walking away from God felt less hurtful. It was through those moments where life began to feel dark, heavy, and purposeless.
When I came to the realization that I couldn't continue living my life in such heaviness, I continued to search, hunger, and thirst for God and His Word. I learned that God will reveal Himself to those who seek and search Him. God brought the children of Israel into the wilderness to humble them and to cause hunger. Unfortunately, instead of being hungry for God's word, they hungered for the things the Lord removed from them. The children of Israel were so consumed with the difficult journey that they didn't realize when God came to reveal Himself to them.
In Deuteronomy 5:23-27, it explains how God had the desire to reveal Himself to the children of Israel in the wilderness just as He did with Moses but they took a step back and requested Moses to speak to God instead of them directly speaking to Him. Sadly, the people never did know God, they just knew about Him. When God brings us into a wilderness just as he did with John, Moses, David, Joseph, Paul, and others, it will be to test us, and to see if we will hunger for Him or if we will hunger for the comforts and pleasures that we look for from the world.
James writes in chapter 4 verse 3-8:
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
John Bevere shares that when we draw near to God by seeking Him with all our hearts then He will draw near to us. The children of Israel were more focused on their own desires (like lust or temporal pursuits or preoccupations) than in God's; seeking the comfort and security that the world's ways could bring them. James 4:8 says, " Purify your hearts, you double minded". Double-minded people go back and forth from the Kingdom life to the ways of the world. There is a huge misconception that we can have one foot in the world and the other in the Kingdom and believe we are walking right with God.
Colossians 3:1-2 says, " If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth". (NKJV) Meaning, if we are fully living a transformed life in the kingdom, we need to SET our minds and reflect a God driven life showing God's character through our lives. People need to see Jesus in us. People may turn away from us or shame us but the point being is we continue to lean towards the kingdom and not fall back into the ways of the world.
We can go to church, sing in the worship team, and be part of church activities but where is our mind when we are not at church or doing something "Christian"? It will be wherever we set our minds and hearts to be. For example, as soon as we leave the church building, or our Christian environment, and close out our Sundays after an hour or so in church, will we bounce back into the world and forget living the Kingdom life or will be continue reflecting our Kingdom journey even when it's not Sunday at church.
John Bevere shared how he talked to many people in churches around the country who sing the worship songs, take notes during the messages, and give their time to church ministries (which are not bad things), but in between the services and volunteer opportunities, they were discussing things of this world such as money, food, hobbies, experiences, etc. and they would light up just talking about it. However, when it came to reading the Bible, praying, reaching out to minister to others, and even going to church, these were all seen and done out of obligation.
I myself have seen this many times in churches. I was actually one of these people before I sought out and realized that I wasn't really reflecting God the right way. I was trying to balance the world and my Kingdom life. My Kingdom life adjusted to my world instead of my world adjusting to the Kingdom life. It wasn't until I went on a trip with my friends and told them I would be joining but would have to leave Sunday morning to make sure I made it in time for my church service in the afternoon. It was then my friend said, "Church? Do you go to feel better?" This whole time they were aware I went to church weekly but I guess they didn't know how involved I was. Just within that sentence, it made me realize I probably wasn't reflecting the kingdom life. It seemed my friends saw me going to church as a way to feel better rather than seeing that I was very invested in my ministry and my kingdom journey.
It was at that point that I had to step back and reflect on the way I was living my life. There's nothing wrong with going out and being around different people, it's more about how we carry ourselves when we are not in the church/Christian environment. Was I reflecting Christ in my life or was my worldly life overshadowing the reflection of Christ in my life. When we do not love, like, or trust in anything or anyone more than Jesus, we are of pure heart.
In Matthew 10:37 Jesus says, " If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, you are not worthy of being Mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than Me, you are not worthy of being Mine." During our time in our wilderness journey, let us not be like the children of Israel who loved their earthly lives so much that they missed their opportunity to know God.
It is in our wilderness journey that the glory of the Lord is revealed. Let us draw closer to God reflecting Christlikeness to the world and cleansing our hearts with full priority of putting God first place in our lives. Circling back to if we only had a couple of more years to live how would we live it? With fullness and Joy that is pleasing unto the Lord. Live life with the mindset of following Christ out of a pure heart because you love Him not viewing His commandments as someone controlling our lives. If we love the Lord with our whole heart, we do things that are pleasing to Him because we love Him. If you are walking the kingdom life already, I leave you with this quote I found years ago that said, "Don't be a part time Christian, expecting a full time God."
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