The Wilderness!

(Psalms 65:12) “The pastures of the wilderness overflow.”

To pen an open letter would mean exposing oneself so that there would be no hidden agenda, no underhandedness would be at play, or at least on the surface. It would be a letter that should be read out allowed. However one must be confident with the subject matter as it exposes the heart of the one writing the letter. A diary on the other hand is a lot more personal, intimate thoughts and sometimes some very pressing issues are dealt with. Needless to say, not many make their personal diaries open to the public. There are many reasons for this and as I can speak first hand on this topic, let me share some of my thoughts. We believe some things to be personal; we use this as license to conceal certain sins within our own twisted minds. We also conceal certain things as we have experienced the reaction from those closest to us, when we err from their own preconceived ideas on how we should act and live, we disappoint them and their reaction often discourages us instead of encouraging us. We retreat into our shell no different to that of as snail. However if we remain silent and somewhat secluded we needn’t deal with any of the pressing issues of life, it would never help us! We must at times retreat into the wilderness and for this purpose only, to be renewed in the Spirit.

Is this thought supposition or can it be taught it from scripture?

If we look at some of the example, those instructed to take a journey into the Wilderness they at times encountered the angel of the Lord. God met them in their conflict! And even those whom we would perceive to be excluded from God’s grace.

Let us look at Hagar’s story; “And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. (Genesis 21:13-20)

This account is a peculiar when I reason it out; I understand that God would bless Abraham’s seed even though it was a man-centred invention to force God’s hand. Sarah had plotted it out and now she was casting out her original plan. She sent Hagar and Abraham’s son off into the Wilderness to die! I suppose much of our own lives are like this, we make choices thinking that they are right at the time but in fact all it has been is man-centred instead of those “good works” that have been prepared for us to walk in before the foundations of the world. Nevertheless even through this epic story of heartache and hopelessness God was just a call away! The goodness of God who can understand it! Let no one address my great God and Father as a hard task master, His mercies endure forever! The lesson for us in this account is we all need to find ourselves in exactly the same place as Hagar, in desperate need and without any apparent hope. It is only then that we will see the great hand of this awesome God unfold in our own lives. Until then it will be hearsay, it will never be experiential!

I would love to see someone try and convince Hagar that a relationship with God cannot be based on experience! It proves this point, which is; whoever breaks the law will be guilty of death, BUT GOD! Has and will intervene in our lives, all we need do is call upon the name of the Lord! “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13): - Just make sure you call out to the only true God and not some idol that is mute and dumb! Jesus Christ the Lord is our only hope!

Sometimes it will take a Wilderness experience for us to realise this! In fact I challenge you to seek out someone who did not experience such an chance meeting and go on to be one of God’s Elite. It is how we react in the Wilderness that will determine who it is we rely on!

Signing off

Tyrone