|
TIP #2: ASSESS YOUR
SITUATION - Part 1
Those stranded in the wilderness
must constantly evaluate their
situation. They need to take stock
of their resources and understand
their surroundings. That way they
can move forward with a level head
and a good idea of what's
necessary to get through.
What are your Resources?
If we were lost in the
wilderness, our odds of survival
would drastically improve if we
possessed a few basic supplies
like food, water, a knife, or
matches. Never are these
provisions more important than
when our survival is at stake.
This is also true for the
spiritual wilderness. The
resources God has given us for
spiritual life are always
precious, but in the wilderness we
must rediscover them and cling to
them like never before.
These resources are the Word of
God, the fellowship of saints, and
the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
The Word of God
God's Word is an oasis of truth in
any spiritual desert. No matter
how barren the season, it is an
ever-present source of renewal and
strength. It does not depend on
outward circumstances to be
effective. Christ's Word "dwells
among you richly" (Col 3:16)
because "the word is near you; it
is in your mouth and in your
heart" (Rom 10:8). When outward
conditions contradict the truth,
the truth must determine our
inward condition. "You desire
truth in the innermost being" (Psa
51:6). This allows us to live and
speak from our heart - the hidden
chamber that stores God's Word -
and not from our circumstances.
"Your word I have hidden in my
heart, that I might not sin
against You" (Psa 119:11).
This is especially important when
the enemy takes advantage of our
wilderness by flooding us with
lies and temptations. Our only
weapon against him is the truth of
God's Word. That is our wisdom for
the wilderness. Jesus exemplified
this in His own wilderness when He
responded to the devil's
temptations by quoting Scripture
(Matt 4:1-11). He reached into His
internal arsenal, found just the
right texts, and fired truth back
at his enemy. God's written Word
has incredible power when we
believe. It is our greatest
resource during dry seasons.
Not only does it protect us from
lies, but God's Word also reminds
us of His purpose for the
wilderness itself. The wilderness
can knock us off kilter and make
us feel like something is terribly
wrong. But the truth of God's Word
provides wisdom to put everything
in perspective.
The two disciples walking the road
to Emmaus were suffering the pain
of a sudden spiritual desert. They
were totally disoriented, darkened
with the despondence of dashed
hopes and a chilling sense of
prevailing evil. Their hero had
died. Jesus of Nazareth, the
mighty prophet whom they thought
would redeem Israel, seemed to
perish in shame like a false
Messiah. Religious leaders mocked
and murdered Him. Now their
aspirations of freedom and glory
lay buried with Him. How could
this have happened? How could such
hope be turned so suddenly into a
wasteland?
Jesus comes along incognito. He
walks beside them and interviews
them. He learns what they are
discussing and why they are so
sad. Then He completely transforms
their perspective by explaining
the Scriptures to them (Luke
24:27). "Did not the Messiah have
to suffer these things and then
enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26).
Notice that Jesus does not first
reveal Himself to them in person,
showing them that He is alive and
well and walking right next to
them. Rather, His identity remains
hidden while He explains from the
written Word that their
circumstances are not dismal after
all. They are necessary to God's
plan of salvation. Jesus does not
change their circumstances; He
changes their perspective through
the wisdom of the Scriptures. Now
they will understand, not just
that Jesus came back from the
dead, but that the whole "tragedy"
was actually God's plan from the
beginning. There was no other way
to forgive their sins and exalt
the King. Truth from the
Scriptures transformed their
viewpoint, not their situation.
That is the power of God's Word.
It is a most wonderful treasure
when you find yourself in the
desert. As you assess your
resources, rediscover the Word -
because in the wilderness,
perspective is everything.
Look for ASSESS YOUR
SITUATION - Part 2 (The
Resource of Fellowship) in two
weeks
|
