Wilderness. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the wilderness? For some we think of the forest... others may think of the stories of Moses... David... Jonah... Jesus... and so on and so on. But for me... I use to think of the wilderness being a time where nothing seems clear at all. But God knows better. You think you are in the wilderness lost but in actuality... but as my god brother’s pastor said... you’re being cover and taught in the F.O.G. (Favor of God).
One of my favorite books in the Bible that I enjoy reading is Haggai. It speaks on the rebuilding the temple and its diminished splendor.
Rebuilding. Let’s think of ourselves as a clear glass pitcher. You pour water in it until it’s filled up. Mind you... transparent. So now everyone can see this glass pitcher with water filled up.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16, NIV
With us... God fills us up with the Living Water... so that others may see that God is in you. But of course life happens... Helping others... Going to work... Hustle and Bustle... Bills... sicknesses... deceit... and so on. In life, bit by bit, that water is poured out. To a point where one feels like they are on empty. Instead of going back to the source... we choose to fill these voids with what world will present to us. Temporal fixes. That is until you hit the bottom or get to a point where you know within yourself that you need God to fix you. And so He does...
Haggai 1:3-9
3) Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
4) "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5) Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
6) You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7) This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
8) Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD.
9) "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.
We are so concerned with being successful in world’s view, but we forget that we ourselves are temples and that we must be a strong house so that God can be reside within. We can’t be the temple He calls us to be when we are filled with anxiety, anger, bitterness and selfishness. And until we deal with that ... we can never fully prosper in what God is calling us to. We have to be willing to submit to the Will of God and be obedient. And as difficult as it is know this:
Haggai 1:13
13) Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD.
Once you get in your spirit that even in the wilderness that God is for you and more than the world... then and only then will you be able to meet God at the half point and He can then start to do some things in you and through you. That’s the key... we have to submit to God’s Will and He will lift us up as we lift Him up...
Now a while back, I wrote about this once before courtesy of Bible Study. Let’s take a look:
Haggai 2:1-9
[1] Then on October 17 of that same year, the Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai.
[2] “Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land:
[3] ‘Does anyone remember this house—this
[4] But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
[5] My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of
[6] “For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land.
[7] I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this
[8] The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
[9] The future glory of this
We asked God for this and that and He gives it to us. And we are happy in the beginning, but then we become frustrated but with blessings come responsibilities. In most cases, we don’t want the responsibility to pay for a car, home, new demands on the job, but we want the S-Class, the single family home and the six figure salary with no exceptions. Furthermore, we don’t want to sit down and be still long enough to deal with us... the temples. God is simply asking us, do you remember your house; you? How are you now? Many of us have the notion that God has given up on us and that He’s not concerned and that’s not the case. We equate His greatness in us to that we are going to get all this tangible stuff and get to flash it around like it’s no body’s business... Whatever... God wants to do great things in us not so that we can gloat about it like we did ourselves, but so that He may receive the Glory.
In the verses 6-7, God said that He will shake up everything. Seeing that we are on this earth, we get shaken up as well. And it’s not fun at all. Either we complaining too much or we get too comfortable, so God has to rock us sometimes. But the key is that we do not break. If you look at 2 buildings. During an earthquake, building A may shake until it hits the ground in millions of pieces. Building B on the other hand may shake some and some windows might break yet the structural integrity stays firm. We are like building B. While we may be shaken up sometimes, because we stand on a firm foundation, which is of God, we can take the shaking.
Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, which dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. Luke 6:46-49
NOTE: The opinions that we have of ourselves are irrelevant, seeing that God has thoughts of us that far greater.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
Haggai 2:8 & 9 say the following:
[8] The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
[9] The future glory of this
Why we in such a rush to get the silver and gold? Especially seeing that God will give us all of that and more... There’s nothing wrong with prosperity on earth. But not if that means you going to sell out your soul for it. If it’s that serious, submit who you are to God and trust and believe He will create in you a new creature. A vessel that can be used to glorify God all the more.
The Lesson in Wilderness.
God’s Presence & God’s Glory.
Matthew 13:53 -58
[53] When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.
[54] He returned to
[55] Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
[56] All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?”
[57] And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.”
[58] And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.
How many of us have gone away to the military, college or some job and when you come back “home” folks looking at you strange and hating. Here’s a case with Jesus. He went back home to teach in the synagogue and folks were hating on a brother. Talking about he’s a carpenter son’s. Because they were offended and refused to believe in him, Jesus only performed a few miracles because of their unbelief. Same with us; because we want more, the very ones that think they know us want to carry us. Because all they can talk about is your past, but they don’t know; God knows your past too and holds tomorrow.
Here’s the main point to pull away from these verses: These people were in the presence of Jesus and yet not in His glory. How many of us are like this? We think it’s enough to have God’s presence, but what good will it do if we don’t invoke His presence with praise and worship? That’s how His Glory comes through and when that happens... everything changes.
THOUGHT: Yes the wilderness is not fun... but think about the lessons and preparation God is showing you. We ask to have a closer walk with God, and to do that... we must be willing to make some sacrifices... to give up some old habits... close the door on some folks... and let God have complete control... So you gotta ask yourself: Are willing to go through the wilderness and understand that you are being taught in the F.O.G. (Favor of God) so that you appreciate the flowing river? Think about it.
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