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.
Histories testifies good of the changes that succeed these wildernesses. For example, the implementation of universal healthcare and societal healthcare came to be after the influenza pandemic. Also the great recessions changed the perception of people to be more community-oriented in their behaviours and lifestyles.
Endure the classroom, the tests will soon be over.
In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us — Romans 8:37
Excerpt from The Wilderness : classroom of a believer (Treasures from the Mount : Ornaments of Faith)
