Wilderness

"THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,' MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!" ~ Isaiah the prophet

This week I have been reading about David and his flight from Saul. God took him to a lot of different places as he ran from the king. At one point he spent several days in the wilderness with his 600 men. I find it interesting that those men had to split up to different parts of the wilderness so they would not be found easily.

God took David (as He did so many great people in the bible) into the wilderness before He could allow him to do great things! Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Jesus. All of these men were lead into the wilderness right before their ministry was to take off.

As David was in the wilderness he wrote this Psalm. (63)

" ¹O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
²Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
³Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
⁴So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
⁶When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
⁷For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
⁸My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

You can look at the wilderness as a dry and weary land where there is no hope, or joy, or fulfillment. OR you can see it as a place to find strength, refreshment, and even joy. It is a test of your faith. Do you have what it takes to come out of the wilderness and do exactly what God has called you to do?

God has put me into a wilderness as I prepare to go on my mission. He has brought me to a point in my life where I must depend on Him for everything. Companionship, Joy, Passion, Daily nourishment! He is holding me in His right hand, and I am learning SO much!

This week please pray that as I am in this wilderness that I will not be tempted by Satan and his lies. I had a night this week where I was over come with lies. As Jesus did, I turned to the word and spit them right back in his face. In the wilderness you are exposed, vulnerable and weak. Satan takes advantage where he can. So please pray that I will stand strong on the Word of God and not waver to the right or the left.