Lessons about the Wilderness

I think it's interesting that when God is teaching me a lesson, He uses everyone and everything around me. One of the things He is teaching me now is about the wilderness, which I thought was strange, since I don't really feel like I am in a wilderness stage of life.

At the Deeper Still conference, the first person to speak was Priscilla Shirer. She talked about the Israelites being in the wilderness and how God was teaching them to rest in that stage and that God was preparing them to see Him at Mt. Sinai. He prepared them by reminding them of what He had done for them (Delivering them from Slavery, parting the Red Sea), having them recognize their spiritual identity (God's chosen, Holy Priesthood) and by asking them to give a new level of surrender. It was only after this new level of surrender (Exodus 19:7-8 - All that the Lord has spoken, we will do) that God comes to Mt. Sinai, shows them His Glory, allows them to hear His voice and gives them the 10 Commandments.

Last Sunday, I was asked to teach the Elementary kids at a different church and the story was David and Goliath. When I was studying to do the lesson, the thing that jumped out at me is that when David heard Goliath ask for them to send someone to fight, his first thought wasn't , "oh my gosh, this guy is huge," or "I should be scared because the entire army is scared." Instead, David looked at the truth of God's word. He said, "Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of God?" (1 Samuel 17:26). David didn't look at the circumstances or even think about how one might beat a 9'9" giant, he just knew that God said that the Israelites were His people and that He would protect them. He stood on what the Israelites had learned in the wilderness: Remember what He has done for you in the past, know your spiritual identity and go to the next level of surrender. David was willing to be surprised by God. He didn't know how, but he knew God would defeat Goliath so David leaned on that faith and went for it.

I guess God wanted to make sure I heard what He was saying to me (and I think He likes to work in threes) so my pastor at Oak Leaf Church on Sunday was also preaching about the wilderness and the battle of Jericho. Once again, the Israelites were prepared in the same three ways: Remembering the past, knowing their spiritual identity and taking a new level of surrender. I know that if someone asked me to walk around a wall for 7 days blowing trumpets, I would have questions, but they too were willing to be surprised by what God would do. That takes a measure of faith, but more than that, it takes surrender.

God taught me that I am not in the wilderness, but many people around me are in that stage of life. I need to be ready to share the hope that is within me. I must be reminded of what God has done for me in the past, how God has pulled me from the pit of my own sin and bad choices. I need to stand strong in my spiritual identity as a child of God, an heir to His kingdom, and place my self worth in His unchanging love. I also need to be ready to go to that next level of surrender; dieing to myself, more and more everyday. The cool part is that means I will get to be surprised by what God does. I like surprises!