How to respond when God leads you into the wilderness
Saturday, April 9, 2011 Friends, the following is taken from a daily devotional I've been writing for the season of Lent. I felt it was especially apt for what some of us go through this time of year, so I'd post it to those who have subscribed to our River blog. Regards, JT
Exo 14:11-12 They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
When the Israelites encounter their first testing after the amazing exodus from Egypt and Passover of God, what do they do? First they cried out to the Lord (verse 2), that was a GOOD thing. However, that goodness was short lived. These three verses reveal three critical mistakes that the people of God make in their time of testing:
They begin to mistrust Moses' leadership - what have you done to us? Why have you taken us out just to die in the wilderness. They were happy to trust Moses when things were rosey and they were being emancipated from pharoah's hand, but what about when the Egyptian armies were coming in the distance, and it didn't appear that Moses had made the right decision?
Therefore they begin to mistrust God's leadership - Moses was God's anointed leader. Moses was simply following God's commands, yet their questioning of Moses was questioning God's leadership in their life. God had told them He would take them to a Promised Land, but now they clearly did not trust either Moses or God's leadership.
They begin to complain - it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians. Really? Do they so quickly forget what it was like under Pharoah ... the genocide of their infants, the cruelty in labor having to build enormous monuments to foreign gods and cities of hubris?
This is a sad moment for the people of Israel: They forget their experience in Egypt, and the slavery of Pharoah; they questioned God and His leader; they complained and they wanted to go back into slavery rather than forward with God into the Promised Land.
Application:
Lent is a time of revisiting who WE are, and who GOD is. For me it has been a very painful time, honestly, as I've seen areas of my life where I depend on myself, rather than trusting in God; where I've seen selfish ambition rather than surrender; where I've seen complaining and return to the slavery of my old self rather than moving into the new self God has for me in Christ.
Where are you in this passage? Are you trusting in God's leadership in your life, even if He leads you like His Son into the wilderness. Do you trust Him, or do you complain? What is He showing you about yourself? Are you able to take what you seen to Him in genuine confession and repentance, moving forward to the promised land of bearing the image of His Son - or are you really heading back to slavery to pharaoh (satan)?
These are hard questions, but important questions for all of us. Who are we, who is God, and where are we truly headed emotionally, spiritually?
Prayer:
Adoration: Lord thank you for your leadership. Thank you for taking us out of the hand of pharaoh and leading us to new life in Yourself.
Confession: Lord, please forgive us when we don't trust you and when we don't trust those whom You have appointed over us. Lord, when we go through times of testing, forgive us when we complain and gripe. Teach us to trust You and others.
Thanksgiving: We bless you for testing, and what we see in ourselves as a result of what you allow us to go through. You led Israel into the wilderness to test them as they were threatened by Pharoah's armies, You led Your Son into the wilderness ... we know You lead us into trials and testings. We bless you for your Sovereign wisdom and understanding.
Supplication: For faith, for trust, for integrity, love and hope. For joy in surrender, and peace in contrition.
+++++++++
The River Exists to:
Encounter the Lord
Establish our Faith
Equip for Ministry
Engage the World
Exo 14:11-12 They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
When the Israelites encounter their first testing after the amazing exodus from Egypt and Passover of God, what do they do? First they cried out to the Lord (verse 2), that was a GOOD thing. However, that goodness was short lived. These three verses reveal three critical mistakes that the people of God make in their time of testing:
They begin to mistrust Moses' leadership - what have you done to us? Why have you taken us out just to die in the wilderness. They were happy to trust Moses when things were rosey and they were being emancipated from pharoah's hand, but what about when the Egyptian armies were coming in the distance, and it didn't appear that Moses had made the right decision?
Therefore they begin to mistrust God's leadership - Moses was God's anointed leader. Moses was simply following God's commands, yet their questioning of Moses was questioning God's leadership in their life. God had told them He would take them to a Promised Land, but now they clearly did not trust either Moses or God's leadership.
They begin to complain - it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians. Really? Do they so quickly forget what it was like under Pharoah ... the genocide of their infants, the cruelty in labor having to build enormous monuments to foreign gods and cities of hubris?
This is a sad moment for the people of Israel: They forget their experience in Egypt, and the slavery of Pharoah; they questioned God and His leader; they complained and they wanted to go back into slavery rather than forward with God into the Promised Land.
Application:
Lent is a time of revisiting who WE are, and who GOD is. For me it has been a very painful time, honestly, as I've seen areas of my life where I depend on myself, rather than trusting in God; where I've seen selfish ambition rather than surrender; where I've seen complaining and return to the slavery of my old self rather than moving into the new self God has for me in Christ.
Where are you in this passage? Are you trusting in God's leadership in your life, even if He leads you like His Son into the wilderness. Do you trust Him, or do you complain? What is He showing you about yourself? Are you able to take what you seen to Him in genuine confession and repentance, moving forward to the promised land of bearing the image of His Son - or are you really heading back to slavery to pharaoh (satan)?
These are hard questions, but important questions for all of us. Who are we, who is God, and where are we truly headed emotionally, spiritually?
Prayer:
Adoration: Lord thank you for your leadership. Thank you for taking us out of the hand of pharaoh and leading us to new life in Yourself.
Confession: Lord, please forgive us when we don't trust you and when we don't trust those whom You have appointed over us. Lord, when we go through times of testing, forgive us when we complain and gripe. Teach us to trust You and others.
Thanksgiving: We bless you for testing, and what we see in ourselves as a result of what you allow us to go through. You led Israel into the wilderness to test them as they were threatened by Pharoah's armies, You led Your Son into the wilderness ... we know You lead us into trials and testings. We bless you for your Sovereign wisdom and understanding.
Supplication: For faith, for trust, for integrity, love and hope. For joy in surrender, and peace in contrition.
+++++++++
--------------
The River Exists to:
Encounter the Lord
Establish our Faith
Equip for Ministry
Engage the World
Reader Comments (5)
JT ~
It really is amazing how Jesus uses this season of LENT to really penetrate and prune us as we seek Him to "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23 -24)...He will! Because He is GRACIOUS and wants us to TRULY enter into HIS promised land...vibrant, fragrance filled. "crushed grapes and poured out wine" (Oswald Chambers) LIFE in Christ..."pick up your cross daily and follow me.":
We've been going through this refining as we seek Jesus to clean out and refine and purge and cleanse and make ready US for the harvest to come at this new church plant of Healing Grace Church in New Bern. WE NEVER ARRIVE! = ) It's a continual deepening and refining so that we can be made more and more usable in His kingdom work. It truly is a "dying to self"...not allowing the enemy to get a foothold ANYWHERE...MUCH prayer...and forgiveness "70x7 times" ...and that's forgiving others, ourselves, and Jesus in those areas that we are sometimes so blind to for whatever reason.
But to lay open...always open...open hands, open heart, HUNGERING for His deeper work in us! ALWAYS!!! And when we surrender...which is a day to day journey...His pruning yields so much fruit! But will we allow the rubbing when we enter the realm of no control...but allow Him to be in control?
I think the greatest thing is His GRACE...that as we as leaders and as followers impart His GRACE to each other at every turn we thwart the enemy from getting that foothold in there where bitterness, negativity, hurt, hardness, and what you spoke of as not trusting happens. Putting the Cross between us ALWAYS and laying ourselves down and being willing to engage the pressing of our flesh, our agenda, our fear, our control, that will lead us to the land of VICTORY and POWER.
I'm just amazed at how the Lord is moving DEEP in so many of us this LENT...and though the rubbing is hard... it is AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL and POWERFUL!!! "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead WILL GIVE YOU LIFE IN YOUR MORTAL BODIES through his Spirit, who lives in you." (Romans 8:11)
Thank you for your transparency and your post today, JT. Very cool! "Jesus, please put a salve over our hearts as we allow You to take us through your refining fire...because we know that YOU have created us for MORE and that MORE is Your INCREASE in us and our DECREASE so that we can be the crushed petal that gives off the 'Aroma of Christ in every place'. We love you, JESUS, and we THANK YOU for not ever allowing us to be comfortable, but You press us to be SATISFIED in You! 'You MAKE US to lie down in green pastures.' In Jesus name. Amen."
Peace of the Lord be with you, Jonathan ~
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