WILDERNESS – DAY 3
Matthew 3: “Now in those days John the Baptist *came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Ministry of John the Baptist starts in the wilderness; isolation was inevitable for John because he was going to deal with rough, tough , hard-hearted people. I open today’s devotion with my testimony: After resigning my job with a multinational bank, as a mother of two children, the last one was a toddler, I did not immediately get ministry work but I had to wait for a long period on my knees. I had been confined to solitude which is non-negotiable for an author. There are moments when loneliness thankfully becomes solitude and solitude deliciously transforms into creativity. This was the divine purpose of God for my solitude! I desired to go around places and preach about Him, but He desired to keep me with Him and write for Him and thereby take His message around the world. Which was easy? Me going around or He having his way in taking the Word around? The Bible says in Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.” Powerful ! I have learnt to gather pain, defeat, discouragement, illness, criticism along the way and dump it away because I know and I know, that He would take me to the right destination, for He has promised in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I KNOW THAT HE IS JUST THE BEST!
To an untrained eye, the forest is a vast expanse of green and brown. But ask the guide,
he would patiently open up the treasure trove of herbs, medicine, balms and even fuels.
Sometimes when going through struggles, it looks like a journey in the forest, but hang
on, God would reveal the benefits that would come out of the forest experience! You
would learn to be more patient, more kind, compassionate, loving, forgiving, long
suffering, faithful and honest. Such Christ-like qualities do not grow on trees, we get
them through Jesus Christ, as we gladly accept the fiery trials that come our way.
GOD’S PROVISION IS SUFFICIENT WHILE WE ARE INEFFICIENT!
Walter B. Knight tells of an American tourist who had just seen the Passion Play. Approaching Mr. Lang who played the part of Christ, he asked, “May I be photographed with you while I lift your cross?” The tourist stooped to lift the cross but he couldn’t. He exerted more energy, but still could not lift it. Looking at Mr. Lang, he said, “Your cross is certainly heavy!” Mr. Lang said, “Sir, I cannot represent Christ with a light cross!”
B) EZEKIEL IN THE MIDST OF CAPTIVES:
The book of Ezekiel opens like this: Ezekiel 1: The Vision of Four Figures
Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.”
God kept prophet Ezekiel among the captives, because he had work with them. Even though you have sinned and you are far away from God, still God would send a prophet to you or keep a prophet in your midst, even though you do not realize it. Wow, what a compassionate God we serve. Now God had to prepare Ezekiel to speak to the rebellious crowd of people who would refuse to be corrected; however, God will not leave them without speaking the word. So Ezekiel’s saw the heavens opened and saw visions of God. Imagine! Visions were not for his excitement and thrill but it was for a higher and greater assignment. Ezekiel had to be alone and silent in order for God to speak to him. Further God kept revealing His glory over and over again, read:
Ezekiel 3:23 So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.
24 The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself up in your house.
25 "As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them.
26 "Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house.
27 "But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel’s TONGUE STUCK TO THE ROOF OF HIS MOUTH. God did that. We need to learn to speak at the right time and other times, keep silent. Ezekiel was being trained by God. In our early morning 5am prayer, a young working mother shared her testimony of controlling her tongue, I give that below:
“Yesterday my mother in law was doing an additional task which requires physical efforts. Doctor has warned her as she’s heart patient and fallen sick recently so I don’t want her to stress herself and us as we are working. Devil was provoking me to call her daughter twice but I asked Holy Spirit to take control of my tongue, gradually Holy Spirit made me to rejoice in Christ and divert my mind.” This is how we create peace in our house, Amen. Isolation is God’s training ground for us. Embrace it.
C) APOSTLE PAUL:
Acts 9:9 “And he was three days without sight and neither ate nor drank.”
Paul had a wonderful and dramatic experience while he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians out there. Though the purpose of his journey was against God; yet, being abundant in mercy, Christ reaches out to this man named Paul. Well, Paul’s encounter with Jesus is just thrilling and gripping. The Bible says in verse 3, “…suddenly a light shone around him from heaven, Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?”
God had to show up in a mighty way to Paul in order to use him in a mighty way! Now understand, God does not allow a man to experience Him for nothing, God had a purpose in the life of Paul. God gives us a divine vision to send us for His mission! Paul’s encounter with Jesus on this “great day” is going to form a foundation for the great work that God is going to do in the life of Paul. When Paul heard the voice of heaven, he said, “Who are you Lord? And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads”? Paul asks, “What do you want me to do”? Jesus replies and tells him, “Arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do”. Paul who is now on the ground, tries to get up but something terrible happens, when he arose from the ground, “ he could see no one!” God struck him blind. Now some people led him into the city of Damascus according to the Word of God. It is from here, that I want to talk you about the life changing experience of Paul.
When he arose from the ground, he was NOT THE SAME MAN. In one flash second, God crushed his plans and replaced it with His plans. God knocked him, humbled him and made him obey His voice instantly. This is what the anointing of God would do a person! God had to strike him blind and make him follow Him. After meeting Jesus, Paul left his plans behind and decided to wait for God’s further plans for his life. That’s exactly we need to do also. God has a way of getting our attention. God calls us out of our comfort zone, to make major adjustments and join Him in His work. Now watch this, verse 9 says,” And he was three days without sight and neither ate nor drank.” Why did Paul refuse to eat or drink? What happened in the place, where he was blind and locked up for three days without food or water? Yes, it was here that God prepared Paul for the great ministry ahead. Amen.
Paul’s training begins here in the room, where he was LOCKED UP WITH GOD, blind, without food and water. I guess God struck him blind so that he does not get distracted but keeps his focus only on HIM. God has to strike us blind, in order to get our attention! Do you know how it feels to be left alone with God for three days? Have you ever tried sitting with God for this many hours? Particularly without food or water? Specifically when you are aimless and lost in the direction of your life?
After I resigned my job and joined the mission field to work full-time for the Lord, I did not have a ready-made Ministry on hand to walk into. I just had nothing, I had no plans and no agenda but I had the promises of God with me. Along with my husband, I decided to go on three days fasting without food and water to know God’s plan for our ministry and future. I had to decide on so many things, we had to shift our house, my little four year old son’s education and my daughter’s education had to be taken care of. My relatives and my family wondered, how are we going to maintain the family and children, having walked out from a well paid bank job! I decided to lock myself up in my prayer room for three days without food and water. Having always been a busy person and having worked in many top companies, this was a new experience of having to wait on the Lord.
I would like to share here my first experience of Esther fasting which is three days without food and water. (It will be long, bear with me and read please) I prayed for three hours at a stretch and then I started feeling exhausted. For those who have not done hard praying, would not understand what I was going through. People who do not have any dire need would never exert themselves to pray hard. Some do not trust God and hence they do not strain either, as for me, I trusted only in Him, I believed my future was in the Hands of God and I did not want to make any wrong move in my life, hence I humbled myself to fast and pray. As I sat there in the presence of God, my head started aching badly. I tried to ignore it, but it was getting intense and severe. I tried applying relief balm, but the pain was just increasing. For the next few hours I kept speaking in tongues. I was not able to read the Bible because of the pain but I kept singing songs, praising Him and speaking in tongues. I went to bed that day with severe headache. The next morning I got up with pain. I felt physically weak, but I did not show it to my children, I cooked for them, sent them to school and again entered my prayer room. On the second day also I was able to only speak in tongues because of the physical fatigue and pain. On the second day, I developed stomach pain too, yet through it all I entered the third day of fasting. In the afternoon I became very weak and so I cuddled in the mattress in my prayer room itself. I was not able to pray powerfully, read the Bible or be strong. I refused to come out of the prayer room and at 4 pm I came out and prayed for one hour along with my husband and broke the fast at 5 pm by drinking water and juice. It was a splendid and wonderful experience and the joy of having beaten satan’s devices to discourage and exhaust me was simply fantastic. Just with one glass of juice I was jumping, crying and singing, not because I can eat now, but because I had defeated satan. He tried all means to attack me physically and emotionally, but God taught me valuable and rich lessons of endurance, patience and strengthened me spiritually. Dear friend, we need the steel and zeal to confront the massive pressure that satan and the world would bring on us and we get that ONLY THROUGH FASTING. Is anybody listening?
JOSEPH:
Genesis 40:14 “But remember me when it is well with you and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.”
Joseph was locked up in the prison for eleven long years, when he said the above words! He seems to be groping in the dark and probing for a reason for his sufferings as he says, “I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.” When we understand God’s big picture for our life, then we surely will be able to see the Hand of God behind everything. The prison was designed for Joseph to have a personal revival and revelation of His Big God. Amen.
God had some great things prepared for Joseph which he could not even have imagined. We would never be able to fully realize how wonderful He is! Such is the love of God! Joseph had to be operated before he could be promoted from the prison to palace. Stuart Calvert says, “No experience is wasted with God. Your pleasant or unpleasant situation is preparing you for a future event of relationship.” Praise God!
Corrie Ten Boom, a courageous woman, was the only member in her family to survive the concentration camp. She and her family were imprisoned along with her loved ones for harboring fugitive Jews. ‘We must go every where, ’Corrie’s siter Betsie whispered before dying at Ravensbruck. ‘We must tell people that no pit is so deep that He is not deeper still. They will believe us because we were here.’ Such tear drenched words gets deep into your heart and squeezes you so much that it pains. How can one lead a mediocre life after reading such experiences? Friend, none of the beautiful, life changing, spectacular books of Corrie like “The Hiding Place, The Tramp finds a home, Amazing Love” would have ever been berthed if she had not been in the pit. People listen to you because you have been there! Hallelujah!
In one of her books, Corrie says, “Only after my fifty-fourth year did God ordain me. Before that, I lived for many years in the same house in Holland.” Despite her days behind the prison bars, God still had to keep her on hold until she was 54 years old. That’s something! I have understood that God is never in a hurry, even if we scream and yell on the top of our voice, “get me out of this place”, He is not going to bail us out prematurely. Praise God for that! He is all out to do deeper things in your life and take you to greater heights! Corrie said, “Because I had to go through deep suffering in the prison, I was able to comfort people afterwards, because I could tell them, “Jesus is stronger than the deepest darkness. When you have experienced the darkness of a concentration camp, you know how deep that darkness can be!”
I want to quote here the words of Apostle Paul: 2 Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”
