What makes a child of God is aligning with the will of God – Your will becomes the father’s will (John 1:12-13). This is the ultimate reason that separates us from Satanism.
When we think of the father’s will for our lives – we always think of it in a rosy way, that it is God’s will that all should be well at all times. In reality according to scriptures, contrast is the case; the Israelite going into captivity of the Babylonians was the will of God, Christ’s suffering and death was the will of God. The dispersing of the Israelites into other countries for captivity was to evangelise himself amongst the nations of the earth. The death of Christ was for the reconciliation of man to him.
God possess you, your will becomes his will, that he might do his good pleasure in the earth (Philippians 2:13). Yield to his will. There is no way God can use you if you do not accept his will. He will not be able to fully possess you and thus is power through you cannot be fully realised.
Situations that enacts God’s will may not be favourable but God’s thoughts for you is to do you good and give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). Patience therefore is required in the accomplishment of his will (James 1:2).
Living a happy life in unfavourable situations is essential in our walks with God. The journeys of the Israelite in the wilderness shows turmoil, haughtiness, backslidings and miracles. During all these phases in their journeys God was with them leading them by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night although they had no direct access to meeting God in the tent of meeting which was behind the veil, except Moses.
The baffling question to ask is why were they turning to other gods or backsliding despite the presence of God in the midst of them though behind the veil? Having witnessed great miracles – the parting of the red sea, bread falling from heaven and meat in the wilderness, are all answers in response to their complaints. These did not permeate their minds, it was as if they needed more.
There are two types of veils in the story; first is the veil of the mind and the second is the veil of tent of tabernacle. The first limits the perception of the nature of the workings of God and the second limits their access to God. The limitations presented by the first veil poses great expectations – a better life than the life of slavery. Everyone wants a good life and thus their complaint is justified but the more important thing is to have knowledge of what God is doing in that season.
When expectations does not align with God’s doings in a season, this creates a cloud of hindrance which hinders our belief, our perception of God’s presence – it looks like God is not present whereas he is present. This is the veil.
It must be very hard for the Israelite to belief because of these veils, a God who appeared to them and insists he is the God of their fathers but despise them of their uncleanliness and want no contact with them, hence created a veil between them. God has repented. If they could persevere in their belief of God what of we who Christ died for thereby casting off the veil, that God now reside in us. How much we ought to stand firm and belief? In this realm God has chosen not to put himself behind the veil but you have the choice to put him behind the veil.
Therefore Rejoice!! Rejoice!! Cast off the veil of your mind and see God for he is with you though it does not look like it.
You might have prayed for a job and got one. You might have prayed for healing and got healed. But when you prayed and the situation does not change, it means the way out of that situation is in changing You. Prayers changes situations but not all of them. Paul testified about this in his prayers concerning his weakness (2 Corinthians 12: 7–9).
The book of Exodus from the Bible encapsules the story of the Israelites deliverance from bondage. The fascinating thing about their deliverance is the route God took them through before they could get to the promised land. When moses was considering the direction their journey would take, God intervened. According to map he did not take them through a shortcut but the opposite (Exodus 13 :17–18). He took them through the wilderness. He did not only instruct them in that direction but he led them. Some scholars suggests that the real reason for His decision is to take out Egypt (the lifestyle, the worship etc.) fully from Israel.
The Enemy is a better Trainer
Their journeys in the wilderness depicts that it is a place filled with barrages of doubts and concerns from the hardship to survive: where are we going? Maybe we should had stayed in Egypt, at least we were sure of what we were doing? Moses have you brought us here to kill us? The enemy came in the form of doubts to hinder them from stepping into the promises God had for them. For those who did not trust God, doubts gave birth to unbelief and led to their destruction. On the contrary, the enemy was defeated by those who trusted God. The wilderness is full of test and trials; it is the classroom of a believer.
This journey of the Israelites is the same as a christian journey after New birth (deliverance from sin into new life by blood of christ). Christ commands her destiny and instead of finding situations rosy all the time she find herself also in difficult times. When you prayed and do not get an answer, when the prayer is about you, God is dismantling and building a new you that will fit the destination He promised.
Although, the wilderness may be an unbearable place for a believer it contains enormous benefits required for a believer to be fortified. The benefits are the same as the benefits of a natural wilderness;
You learn to recognize the sound of different birds in the wilderness; you learn to recognise the voice of the Holy Spirit from that of devils to make godly decisions.
You learn how wild animals attack in the wilderness; you learn the techniques and strategies of satanic agents.
You learn to follow the atlas to get direction in the wilderness; you learn the significance of the reading the Word of God
You get used to journey delays in the wilderness; you learn to take on patience and perseverance as virtues.
You learn to travel the path of the wilderness; you become an experienced soldier of Christ.
The Key to a successful wilderness travel is to release yourself to the one who is leading YOU. By that the enemy will not stand a chance.
After the Wilderness
This story of the Israelites travel relates to our spiritual journeys, but more so it also relates to our everyday lives. When we endure we finally step into the promises God for our lives just like they inherited the promised land. The pandemic and recession are wildernesses that births doubts and concerns that alter our lifestyles: the way we react to life, the way we care for our fellow humans, make us reflect about the things that are important to us and where we have been doing wrong.
