Friday, August 9, 2013

The Wilderness ~ A Conflicted Place

In the wilderness
Some pretty significant events happened in the wilderness…

Adam and Eve were sent out into the wilderness, because of their sin.

Hagar was in the wilderness, twice:
  She fled to the wilderness because Sarai treated her harshly.  
  The second time, Sarai told Abraham to send her away, with Ishmael.
     Both times, the angel of the Lord appeared to her, promising descendants.

Moses was forty years in the wildernessand then met God at the burning bush.

The Israelites spent forty years of learning hard lessons, in the wilderness.

Elijah was in the wilderness, twice:
   Commanded by God to go to the wilderness, where he was fed by blackbirds.
     Fled to the wilderness and wished to die.

John the Baptist came out of the wilderness to the River Jordan.
Jesus came out of the River Jordan and went into the wilderness.

Paul did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, but went away to Arabia.

Sin is the greatest wilderness of all. 
When we face the dearth in our own souls
and look to the cross-
that is when Jesus will rescue us.

 

But the wilderness is also a place of refining, testing and victory.
Bewildered?  Afraid? Waiting?
Jesus will meet you there.  Right there.

Sometimes, it’s only in the wilderness that He can get our attention.
And then He sends us out.

Elijah kept serving.
John started preaching.
Jesus set His face to the cross.
And I, I am forever grateful.

Jesus took on the wilderness of sin
To set me free from it.  

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)



Jesus was tempted, tried and triumphant.

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