3.18.11 "The Message & the Desert"

"The Message & the Desert"

Numbers 26:52-28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 11:16-17

In his book, "A Heart Ablaze" John Bevere writes of the importance of Moses' encounter with the burning bush. "Had he not encountered the Lord... he would have been on a campaign to get them out of slavery and into their own land..." At first glance it may seem "WHAT? He WAS on a campaign getting them out of slavery!" That may be man's perception, but the truth is that he was bringing them to meet with God! That's a much higher priority.

Bevere makes the statement, "if we have a calling on our lives but have not allowed God to bring us to the back side of HIs desert to reveal Himself, we will seek to free people for the sake of freedom. But we need to free people for the purpose of coming to the One for whom we were created."

How do we apply this to our lives? We need to make sure that we subject our plans, good ideas, and even messages from the Lord to his refining process. If we don't do that, we end up with a "product" or message that is not exactly what God had intended it to be.

Let's look at a couple of the "deserts" mentioned today. In Numbers 26, they've done another census. verses 64-65 say, "Not one person in this entire census had been counted in the previous census taken in the wilderness of Sinai! For all who had been counted then had died, as the Lord had decreed when he said of them, 'They shall die in the wilderness.' The only exceptions were Caleb & Joshua."

What's the significance of that? The people who had been in Egypt did not submit themselves to the plan of God in the wilderness. There was time after time that they would rebel, complain, and compromise the plan of God. Many times it was because of concern for their own comfort. In this time of wilderness, had they trusted in God, sought his face more diligently, and allowed Him to refine them, they could have experienced the Promised Land. The only 2 that would see Egypt as well as the Promised Land would be Caleb & Joshua: the ones who trusted in the Lord. The Lord needed to refine the people.

In Luke 3 there's another wilderness. verse 1 says, "... a message came from God to John... as he was living out in the deserts." Sometimes it's in the wilderness where the message is received. Moses was in exile when he saw the burning bush. He got the message in a lonely place. John did as well. The message John had was incredibly impacting. Its importance was so great, it necessitated the refining of the wilderness.

John's message, as prophesied by Isaiah applies to us today: "Prepare a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before him! Level the mountains! Fill up the valleys! Straighten the curves! Smooth out the ruts! And then all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God." (Luke 3:4-6)

We must clear a path for the Lord. We may all be in a different place in this process. Some may have no "message", or dream, or plan. Some may not realize they do. Others see a glimpse, and others may be chomping at the bit ready to dive ahead. But ALL must clear the path for God to do his work.

For some the path may need to be cleared to get the message, and for others the process of clearing the path will refine the message. What God places in our hearts is for more than we can understand or imagine. It is world-changing. We all have ruts & valleys, and curves that need to be refined in the presence of the Lord. They need to be refined in the wilderness.

It's a tough prayer to say: Lord refine me. The refining process is hot and can get ugly. Heaven forbid that we take the precious message the Lord has for us the wrong direction. We must seek his face. Though the desert will refine us, God is faithful to carry us through. "For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, i will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me." (Ps 61:2-3)

THEN all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God! That is what all this is about: to meet with God!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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