THOSE WILDERNESS TIMES

[L.A.M.B.]

What a promise........

 

[Wynona]

I suspect that, just like me, we all experience those days, weeks or months when we feel a dryness in our spirits and distant from our loving Father. These times are like the winter; cold and long and there’s not much we ourselves can do to move on to the next ‘season’. If we have no obvious sin separating us and causing the distance between us and our God we must just be and let God do the moving.

I have found that trying too hard to get myself out of these wilderness times has the opposite effect and I seem to get drier and more parched and further away from God. A while back I was in just such a dry place and had been crying out to God to rescue me but I seemed to get further and further into that arid desert until one day God answered me. I clearly heard His voice in my spirit saying, “Just be, and let me”. It took all the pressure off and I surrendered to Him and just sat quietly, stopped all the desperate praying and just believed.

Soon afterwards I was back in the fertile places and so grateful to God for His grace which brought me once again into those pleasant places with him.

As I said, I think we all will have been in those desert places so it would be nice to hear how others dealt with it. Please share.

I don't deal with it well.

But I remember what my friend told me. "Either God is telling the truth or He's with us or He's not. We go by the Word, not our feelings."

 

[Pearl]

I don't deal with it well.

But I remember what my friend told me. "Either God is telling the truth or He's with us or He's not. We go by the Word, not our feelings."

Yes we should but it is sometimes hard to ignore the feelings. But we can do it by looking to Jesus.

 

[farouk]

Yes we should but it is sometimes hard to ignore the feelings. But we can do it by looking to Jesus.

@Pearl Good advice indeed from Hebrews 12.2....

 

[David H.]

What a promise.

Great passage....

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. (Isaiah 54:7)

 

[farouk]

I suspect that, just like me, we all experience those days, weeks or months when we feel a dryness in our spirits and distant from our loving Father. These times are like the winter; cold and long and there’s not much we ourselves can do to move on to the next ‘season’. If we have no obvious sin separating us and causing the distance between us and our God we must just be and let God do the moving.

I have found that trying too hard to get myself out of these wilderness times has the opposite effect and I seem to get drier and more parched and further away from God. A while back I was in just such a dry place and had been crying out to God to rescue me but I seemed to get further and further into that arid desert until one day God answered me. I clearly heard His voice in my spirit saying, “Just be, and let me”. It took all the pressure off and I surrendered to Him and just sat quietly, stopped all the desperate praying and just believed.

Soon afterwards I was back in the fertile places and so grateful to God for His grace which brought me once again into those pleasant places with him.

As I said, I think we all will have been in those desert places so it would be nice to hear how others dealt with it. Please share.

Hi @Pearl I like what C H Spurgeon said: "By faith the wilderness can become the suburbs of heaven".

 

[farouk]

Great passage....

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. (Isaiah 54:7)

@David H. Great verse there!

 

[David H.]

@David H. Great verse there!

The whole chapter fits this post perfectly, take the time to read it if you have not.

 

[Pearl]

Hi @Pearl I like what C H Spurgeon said: "By faith the wilderness can become the suburbs of heaven".

I like that.

 

[farouk]

I like that.

I love Spurgeon's writings.

He has so many quotable quotes.......................

 

[farouk]

I don't deal with it well.

But I remember what my friend told me. "Either God is telling the truth or He's with us or He's not. We go by the Word, not our feelings."

@Wynona Exactly; John 17.17................

 

[Lambano]

It was a different thread, but someone said something that suggested the imagery of a Father teaching His child to walk. Sometimes He holds our hand. Sometimes He lets go of our hand and withdraws and watches. We have to trust that He is still watching us, even when we can't see or hear Him. We have to trust that if we stumble and fall, He'll pick us up, wipe away our tears, and clean up and bandage our skinned knees and elbows. And we have to trust that He'll keep us from wandering into the street.

I can see the wisdom in that. It's important that we do learn to walk without having our hand held; that's part of growing up. These wilderness times teach us to toddle by faith, not by sight. That's 2 Corinthians 5:7, for those of you keeping score at home.

Then the question during these wilderness times might be, "What should I be learning now?"

 

[David H.]

Then the question during these wilderness times might be, "What should I be learning now?"

PERFECTLY stated, the wilderness is a time of learning, growth and learning to trust in the providence of God instead of our own strength. The Holy Spirit will take you into the wilderness, this final Laodicean church age which began with the miraculous outpouring of tongues is now in that wilderness as many complain the Holy Ghost is not moving (no real revivals etc.) yet we who are truly His children are growing and learning and maturing in our trust in the providence of God. Soon you will see the final outpouring as prophesied in scripture (Joel 2:28, James 5:7), as Gospel of the kingdom is preached around the world for the arrival of the King of Kings.

If you are in the wilderness right now, praise God, and listen for his instruction, be teachable. We all only know in part, together as a church we know all the parts, in the unity of the Spirit, and coming of "One accord" the Holy Spirit will move in power among the sons and daughters of God in these end times.... That is the vision He has given me of what is to come for the church.... Yes, there is going to be a separation of the wheat from the tares, but keep your focus on the cross and you will keep growing and be fruitful.

God Bless.