The Desert Process

 

I am surely believed that there is no one in this world wants live in misery. There is no one in this world, no matter what their religion deliberately pray to God so their live full with suffering.  We always expect as could as possible our live will free of problems that could make us suffered.  It is very reasonable. But we also have to know that problems and trials are a part of our lives. There is a season our lives will a lot of hard problems and trials.  The question is why should there be a problem in our lives? Why our lives aren’t free from problems so we could really enjoy the life? My dear friends, in my personal lives I look that the problems have important meaning. I mean is, I give a simple illustration like this, if we never sick we will have tendency to not appreciate the importance of maintaining a good health. Precisely because we know that get sick is unpleasant thing then we will know how to thankful and appreciate when we are in healthy condition. We will never appreciate a success if we never fail. Through failures we will know how beautiful a success. Another illustration,  there is nothing special when we drink a water every day but water will be so special and precious if we found the water and drink it when we are really thirsty. We would know how nice “a sip of water in the oasis” when are already feel how painful a sunburn in the desert.

My beloved readers, I analogize the desert, a very unpleasant place as hard season in our lives which a lot of problems, trials, and tribulations and as a place to test us. In my personal lives, I look and feel that there is a time God allows His children get into “the desert” with the excruciating sand and painful sunburn. Being in the desert requires a hard work and more struggles. We are confronted by the challenge, a difficult situation, or even we have to face a failure. A  Situations where we will know that   human power, wealth, and intelligence are no longer have a meaning. During that time we should begin to aware that the only ways to survive in entirely rely on the Lord. There are so many great bible figures that had experienced times in the desert before they were incredibly used by God. Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David, Paul, and other Jesus’ disciples, even Jesus Himself had to experience a hard time in the wilderness for a process.

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. (Mark 1:12)

The Israelites also had to pass through the desert for 40 years before they entered to the promise land.

Perhaps there are question arise in our minds, actually what for God allows His children get into “the desert” What is His purpose? Does God wants torture His children? Of course not! Actually God allows us get into the desert in order that we don’t become arrogant, He doesn’t want us have a wrong heart attitude, He wants us not lulled, spoiled and weak. When God permits us have a hard time with so many big problems, we forged to have strong spiritual muscles and learn to cling to God, learn and realize that every greatness we have is nothing, and later when we get out from the desert we will more able to appreciate life and the owner of this lives. God told:

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

Not only allow us to get into the desert, there is a time God chose to keep silent when we are in the hard times. Why God keep silent? I remembered Rick Warren has said: “…If God is silent in your life right now; it’s a test of faith” Once again when God chose to keep silent doesn’t  mean He intends to let us to suffer or doesn’t  care about all our problems but He wants our faith grows significantly through a test. Without passing through the test in” the desert” we will become a weak Christians, easily to be arrogant, easily seduced by the world temptation and become a spoiled person because we would never know what the suffering is. It is important to us to be tested and trained to have a firm faith and really know that relying on God in every step of our lives is the very best way to passing through the experience in the desert. We will succeed or not will depend on how we behave. Do we remain steadfast or we even become fainthearted and our strength become small and weak.

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. (Proverb 24:10)

My beloved friends, maybe this time there are people around us that we love currently in “The desert” facing very hard tests, or maybe even ourselves also have the same situation. I really know that undergoing the test in” the desert” is not easy, very unpleasant, and it might be very painful. But this evening let me tell you one important thing; Even though God allows us to be in the desert to experience many of hard tests, please remember that we will never be left by God to face all of it alone. He promised that although in the hardest times He will keep up us as He kept His own eyes; He’ll always with us and will not forsake us.

“He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.” (Deuteronomy 32:10)

And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31: 8)

We also will always be surrounded and ministered by angels like when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wild beasts.

And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (Mark 1:13)

 Although God as if silent but actually he will never careless and He remain watching over us, He will never slumber and the God’s angel will encamp around us as Psalmist said:

Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4)

The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.( Psalm 34:7)

Testing process in the desert also will drain our energy and will make us weak and fall but God will uphold us with His hand.

Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. (Psalm 37:24)

And eventually, we will end the journey of “The desert test” beautifully as James reminds us:

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

Therefore this evening allow me to encourage all of us to don’t give up and don’t despair. Being in “The desert” is a process of spiritual maturation, make us strong and have unwavering faith. Any such of hard problems and trials may come to us but we have to remember and believe that:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Let’s continue to rely on the power of God in facing of the huge problems; do not rely on our own strengths, keep maintain our faith so we will end the good fight and finished the race as Paul said:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) Amen

Going through our own deserts can make us like little flowers that spring up suddenly in the desert-signs of hope. Elouise

Karina – Living by faith

All Bible verses from New King James Version

Thank you very much to beloved blog and sister in Christ Elouise at https://tellingthetruth1993.wordpress.com/  for the quote.

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