“Thus says the LORD: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness -Israel, when I went to give him rest." (Jeremiah 31:2)
The wilderness is a symbol of times when things go wrong, when things seem not to be working out, when things are difficult and challenging.
However, as we can see in the experience of the people of Israel, the wilderness is a territory we all have to cross in order to reach our “promised land”. In this sense, the wilderness is not our final stop it is a place of temporary stay, a transitional situation, a crossing through. The key word is “crossing”, we are crossing through.
Unfortunately sometimes, our attitude can make the crossing longer, make our stay not temporary but seemingly permanent, and the transition is no longer transition, it is a process of settling in the wilderness.
It is painful to settle in the wilderness when you are only meant to pass through. This is what happened to the children of Israel when a “crossing through” that should not last longer than forty days turned into forty years! As a result, they moved from wilderness into wilderness, not knowing any other life for many years. At least they lived in seven wildernesses.
“Wilderness situations” happen to us from four sources:
The general ebb and tide of life – wars, famines, pestilences, economic booms and blues, etc.
The choices that we make, even a good choice can produce challenges, how much more a bad choice! Abraham obeyed God and came to Palestine, only to face Pharaoh and Abimelech. He chose Lot to enjoy the blessing of God with him, only to find out that Lot wants everything, not a share!
The impact of other people’s lives upon our own life: some people cross our path in life and we are blessed, some bring such burdens and chaos that we are left drained and discouraged. Some children make our life easy as parents, some make our joy disappear overnight and make us wonder whether it is right to have children at all!
The choices that God makes for us – life is not easier simply because God is in charge! Rebekah was handpicked for Isaac through the agency of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 24:44), and Saul was chosen for Israel (1Samuel 9:15-17). When the apostles were told to get into a boat and cross over to the other side by the Lord they did not reckon they would face a storm! (Mark 6:45-47)
What should we know when we are in the wilderness? We should know that God offers us grace in the wilderness. Without the grace of God we will never be able to survive the wilderness. “Grace” means kindness, favour, mercy and leniency. God doesn’t stand aloof from us when we are passing through difficult times. In fact, if we can turn towards God at such times we will discover that He has already made a provision of His bottomless grace to meet our wilderness needs.
The grace that God offers also includes various practical blessings. For instance, God offers us deliverance from the enemy, miraculous provision, helpers along the way, healing when required, companionship and guidance. Without such blessings, we will be hopeless when we find ourselves in a wilderness!
Are you in a wilderness? Be encouraged, God is there with you. Receive His grace!
The wilderness is a symbol of times when things go wrong, when things seem not to be working out, when things are difficult and challenging.
However, as we can see in the experience of the people of Israel, the wilderness is a territory we all have to cross in order to reach our “promised land”. In this sense, the wilderness is not our final stop it is a place of temporary stay, a transitional situation, a crossing through. The key word is “crossing”, we are crossing through.
Unfortunately sometimes, our attitude can make the crossing longer, make our stay not temporary but seemingly permanent, and the transition is no longer transition, it is a process of settling in the wilderness.
It is painful to settle in the wilderness when you are only meant to pass through. This is what happened to the children of Israel when a “crossing through” that should not last longer than forty days turned into forty years! As a result, they moved from wilderness into wilderness, not knowing any other life for many years. At least they lived in seven wildernesses.
“Wilderness situations” happen to us from four sources:
The general ebb and tide of life – wars, famines, pestilences, economic booms and blues, etc.
The choices that we make, even a good choice can produce challenges, how much more a bad choice! Abraham obeyed God and came to Palestine, only to face Pharaoh and Abimelech. He chose Lot to enjoy the blessing of God with him, only to find out that Lot wants everything, not a share!
The impact of other people’s lives upon our own life: some people cross our path in life and we are blessed, some bring such burdens and chaos that we are left drained and discouraged. Some children make our life easy as parents, some make our joy disappear overnight and make us wonder whether it is right to have children at all!
The choices that God makes for us – life is not easier simply because God is in charge! Rebekah was handpicked for Isaac through the agency of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 24:44), and Saul was chosen for Israel (1Samuel 9:15-17). When the apostles were told to get into a boat and cross over to the other side by the Lord they did not reckon they would face a storm! (Mark 6:45-47)
What should we know when we are in the wilderness? We should know that God offers us grace in the wilderness. Without the grace of God we will never be able to survive the wilderness. “Grace” means kindness, favour, mercy and leniency. God doesn’t stand aloof from us when we are passing through difficult times. In fact, if we can turn towards God at such times we will discover that He has already made a provision of His bottomless grace to meet our wilderness needs.
The grace that God offers also includes various practical blessings. For instance, God offers us deliverance from the enemy, miraculous provision, helpers along the way, healing when required, companionship and guidance. Without such blessings, we will be hopeless when we find ourselves in a wilderness!
Are you in a wilderness? Be encouraged, God is there with you. Receive His grace!
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