Solitude Is Delicious

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.