The Believer and the Desert – Dan Stolebarger

THE BELIEVER AND THE DESERT
Dan Stolebarger

God can and often does use the desert to interrupt our lives. He beckons us to come to a solitary place in order to silence the deafening noise of this world and to slow down our often maddening pace.

God can create situations that break us in order to reform us, that would redirect us and that would humble us as He moves us forward in His plan.

He gives “appointed times” beginning with the gift of our weekly shabbat. (Remember according to Jesus the Shabbat was made for man, not visa versa.)

Shabbat has multi-purposes but the pillars are to:

Acknowledge God as Creator
To understand that God created us for fellowship. We need to be intentional and carve out time to just be and to just be with Him.
To proclaim God as KING, to yield to His plan that HE had in mind when HE formed us in our mother’s womb.

He has also included three “mandatory” yearly appointments: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkah. He also gives us Rosh Hashanah, the Days of Awe ending with Yom Kippur, as a time for a yearly reflection and evaluation. (Needless to say, as a Believer it is incumbent upon us to understand how Jesus is the end (the fulfillment) of all these appointed times)!

BUT even with all of this there are times when He draws us out … to the desert … off the beaten path! Consider the examples of Moses, Israel, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Saul of Tarsus, as well as our LORD Himself to name a few.

As we ponder this, realize that you too now have the opportunity to get off the beaten path of life and to come away with the Beloved. What lessons does HE have for us. What word will HE speak … will there be correction? Pruning? Adjustments?

It is time to Come Away and remember it is HIS kindness that leads us to repentance.

REMEMBER … When the aforementioned gang were in the desert, God was preparing them for something greater – the next chapter.  If you’re in the desert right now, know that you are not alone and that God is at work in your life.  BE patient, don’t despair.  Trust!