Day 3: Life In The Wilderness
Scripture: Exodus 3
God does some of His best work in the wilderness. Just ask David and Elijah about that. A desert of desperation, defeat and discouragement doesn’t seem like fertile soil for kingdom success. But it is.
It is in the desert that we are emptied of self, and that’s when the Savior can fill us with His power. David was the anointed one to lead the nation of Israel. He became a national hero at an early age when he defeated the giant Goliath.
But instead of taking the throne, he spent years on the run because of the jealousy of King Saul. He would eventually become king, but it was those years in the wilderness that grew David's faith and his dependency on God.
Psalm 142 is one of the psalms David wrote during his time on the run in the wilderness. In vs. 5-7 he writes, "I cry to you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.' Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me."
Notice David's humility and total dependency on God. That's the beauty that comes from times of desperation in the desert. God showed up to Moses in such a powerful way in the wilderness. He was commissioning Moses for a great work.
Moses had grown up with everything and in his arrogance he took another man's life. God had to empty Moses of himself for forty years in the desert. A painful yet purifying season for Moses. Moses would not only become a great leader, he would become a truly humble man of God.
Numbers 12:3 says, "Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth." Wow, how about that? Moses was the most humble, meek person on the planet. And he probably wasn’t even proud of it! That’s what time in the wilderness can produce. Remember this: Humiliation can lead to humility. It’s not a fun process, but it’s a glorious one.
How about you? Experiencing a season in the wilderness? Take courage, saint! God is growing you; He is molding you. He is seeking to empty you of self so you can be filled fully with Him.
Scripture: Exodus 3
God does some of His best work in the wilderness. Just ask David and Elijah about that. A desert of desperation, defeat and discouragement doesn’t seem like fertile soil for kingdom success. But it is.
It is in the desert that we are emptied of self, and that’s when the Savior can fill us with His power. David was the anointed one to lead the nation of Israel. He became a national hero at an early age when he defeated the giant Goliath.
But instead of taking the throne, he spent years on the run because of the jealousy of King Saul. He would eventually become king, but it was those years in the wilderness that grew David's faith and his dependency on God.
Psalm 142 is one of the psalms David wrote during his time on the run in the wilderness. In vs. 5-7 he writes, "I cry to you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.' Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me."
Notice David's humility and total dependency on God. That's the beauty that comes from times of desperation in the desert. God showed up to Moses in such a powerful way in the wilderness. He was commissioning Moses for a great work.
Moses had grown up with everything and in his arrogance he took another man's life. God had to empty Moses of himself for forty years in the desert. A painful yet purifying season for Moses. Moses would not only become a great leader, he would become a truly humble man of God.
Numbers 12:3 says, "Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth." Wow, how about that? Moses was the most humble, meek person on the planet. And he probably wasn’t even proud of it! That’s what time in the wilderness can produce. Remember this: Humiliation can lead to humility. It’s not a fun process, but it’s a glorious one.
How about you? Experiencing a season in the wilderness? Take courage, saint! God is growing you; He is molding you. He is seeking to empty you of self so you can be filled fully with Him.
Posted in Journey of Hope