Since 1985 I have been in private business. On January 1st, 1990, FATHER told me to begin the day with one hour of prayer before work. As a brash young man, I said “Okay, if YOU want me to pray each morning, wake me up by 5 A.M.”. HE gladly did so… every weekday until HE concluded it after 10 years. In the midst of this ten year season, HE placed me in the financial “wilderness” and it began in March of 1995. When I realized my revenue stream had dried up, I asked HIM to “fix” it. Instead, HE told me that it is ordained that I enter this wilderness for a season and I knew immediately it was to be an eighteen month period. Thankfully HE sustained us and we did not file bankruptcy. I had to place my trust IN HIM, not man. HE provided for us through various unexpected sources during that time of testing. Each of us must go through our own wilderness adventure, unique to our gifts and callings. Don’t try to evade this test but just get through it and overcome the obstacles set before you. Know that HE has your back and will sustain you through the experience. If you will embrace it, this will be a time of great instruction, cleansing, and preparation.
Jesus had to go through the wilderness, the children of Israel were led through the wilderness, the Sons have had to experience the same process, and finally the woman is sent there as well, but only for a short time:
Revelation 12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
The woman is removed from the presence of the serpent. In response, he does something interesting:
15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
The serpent spews water or words out of his mouth like a flood in an attempt to deceive the woman and cause her to be carried out of the wilderness by a flood. What kind of words is the serpent attempting to spew out? He tries to deceive the woman with subtle half-truths that would turn her toward his path of destruction. However, FATHER’S desert location of protection causes the flood to be soaked up thus nullifying his attempts of this great deception.
As opposed to the serpent, Christ washes His bride with Living Water:
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
We can see FATHER’S Divine Intent of Love operating in the woman’s place of separation, protection and preparation. The wilderness is a place of safety and transition from the worldliness to the Promised Land. During this transition, we must have the “world” removed from us so that we can be presented to FATHER in a perfected state. For the overcomers, HE is maturing us into the Body of Christ. As for the church, HE is preparing a glorious bride to present to Himself.
The carnal man wants to see the wilderness as an adverse place of punishment where want and lack reside. The spiritually mature see it as a necessity of preparation toward Spiritual perfection. We must be willing to take on the sufferings of Christ as we are processed into maturity and He will comfort us through this process:
2 Corinthians 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
As we fully trust FATHER’s path HE has placed us on, we will then view the path as an opportunity and blessing bestowed upon us in preparing us for a greater work than anything we have experienced in the past. The wilderness is a bridge that must be crossed in order to fulfill our calling, one step at a time. Rather than closing your eyes out of fear, open them wide and enjoy the view. Be of good courage and know that the Captain of the Host leads the way to victory. Many may veer off the path and return to the world’s ways but don’t worry, they will be restored in their own time. There is no need to fret about them leaving the path but simply know that this path culminates in Spiritual perfection and plays a part in the restoration of all mankind.
When I was younger I questioned and complained about the trials and tests. It was a sign of immaturity and lack of trust IN HIM. Now I understand the challenges set before me and expect HIM to provide the path to overcome any and all obstacles. In HIS Wisdom, HE provided a wilderness to be used as a place of maturing, increasing in wisdom from Above, understanding, and knowledge. The wilderness is where the children of Israel first beheld the Glory of the LORD.
We must be willing to give up the past in order to embrace the present and the future. This time of separation allows us to cut ties with that past and all the customs we adhered to that kept us in that state. There are many precious memories but there is no going back and we must look forward to the next impartation FATHER has in store for us as we ascend in HIS Love. Whether one has been selected for HIS Body or HIS Bride, a time of separation for preparation is vital. Consider Joseph’s time of separation as he needed to get the attitude of “entitlement” out of his character and have the attitude of gratitude instead. His separation was severe in one sense yet in each phase he was blessed within the arena he was placed but it was all in preparation of his high calling.
The wilderness is designed to simplify our lives. We cannot take excess baggage with us and that which we take will be quickly jettisoned. It becomes a nuisance as we are being prepared for our calling. The world’s trappings are no longer of value or interesting to us as we ascend spiritually. We will ask ourselves, “What was the point?” As we shed our worldly reasoning and priorities, questions such as “What was I thinking?” will surface. We then see how the carnal man was so subtle in his deception by keeping us focused on the temporal.
In Matthew 11: 11, Jesus told us that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet born of a woman. This includes the major and minor prophets of the Bible. Where did this great prophet reside?
Matthew 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
Though Annas and Caiaphas were high priests in the temple, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. These high priests were amongst the multitudes and missed the Word of THE LORD. What does this tell us? When someone is called to a wilderness adventure, we should see it in a positive light for quite often, this is where the real action is!