GOD IN THE WILDERNESS - PART IV (April 29, 2012)

We have been meditating this topic for the past three weeks since God is leading me to do so.  I am receiving many testimonies from believers as to how God helped them in their lives of wilderness.  I would like to share one of the testimonies below.
 

A Nepali woman used to watch our worship and sermon online.  She worked in a school where teachers were not allowed to take tuitions.  She prayed to God since the salary she was earning was very low. God spoke to her clearly that without informing the school authorities she should not take tuitions.  But in her mind she thought if she take tuitions she might even share the Word of God.  But she kept silent since God did not allow her.  When she enquired God again, He asked her to quit the job and come to full-time ministry.  She obeyed God’s word and did so.  According to the last week’s message “Miracle in the Wilderness” (there will be no rain or wind yet your valley be filled with water.) many children enrolled themselves for the tuition the moment she quit the job and the amount she received was much bigger than she earned as a school teacher.  That is our God, when we believe, fulfill His words.  The same God who fulfilled His words to her will fulfill to you too.  Just believe and read the message with a joyful heart.

Once a newly wedded couple came to the church for Sunday service.  The wife was sitting on the sister’s side and she was not listening to the message as she was discussing something seriously with her neighbor.  The preacher even though noticed it did not tell anything but continued his message.  But the husband noticed it and got very annoyed.  He wrote on a small piece of paper “Will you stop talking or not?” and asked a little boy to hand it over to his wife.  The boy instead gave it to the pastor.  The pastor was very much confused as to who asked him to stop.  There was much confusion in that church that day.
We should not be like that little boy doing the opposite of what he was supposed to do.  God wants us to listen to His Words with much sincerity and to believe them.  When we do so His words will fulfill in our lives.  So even as you read the message, just believe and claim the promises of God and He will fulfill it accordingly.

1.    GOD’S VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

Psalms 29:8 - The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
Normally when people miss someone for a long time, they might call that person in order to listen to his voice at least.  Likewise you might be in the wilderness wondering what is going to happen next.  You might even think whether God has forgotten me.  But God will make you to listen to His voice at the right time and comfort you.  His voice will be clearly revealed to you and He will make you to run like Elijah.

Usually there are many different ways God speak either as a loud noise which shakes the wilderness or as a still small voice.  Many may even feel the sense of inspiration of God in their hearts and for some God may speak through His Word.  So whichever way the God speaks, it is only to encourage us, to correct us, and to lead us in the right direction so that we will not be wearied in the wilderness.  You need to keep listening to the Voice of the Shepherd daily.  If you are not hearing the Voice of the Lord then the problem is with you since you would have stepped out of God’s way.  So examine yourselves and check whether you are in the right track of God.

When we bought a new sound system for our church, people surrounding us complained that it was very annoying to the extent that even the glass tumbler filled with water was shaking on the table.  We had to use less than 10% of the efficiency of our sound system because of that.  So if a man-made sound system could produce such a noise just think of God whose sound makes the wilderness to tremble.

Once I asked an old believer of our church to divide his property to all his children and to write a Will since it is a God-given command and duty of the fathers.  He was not listening to my words and so I left instructing him.  But one day while he was sleeping he heard a clear voice of God asking him to write the will.  In this way God instructs us to move in the right direction.

Great saints of God used to say like this; if we do not hear the Voice of God while we are still in Earth we would not be able to hear the Voice of the Trumpet to enter Heaven.  This gives us the importance of the Voice of God speaking to us.  So there is God’s Voice in the wilderness.  When we listen to His voice, our lives will be changed.

Prayer:  Loving Lord, I need to hear your Voice.  Please give me your Grace to listen to Your Voice so that I may lead a victorious life in this Wilderness.  Thank You!

2.    HELP IN THE WILDERNESS

Nehemiah 9:11 Yet in Your manifold mercies you did not forsake them in the wilderness.  The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them on the road; nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way they should go.
The Lord God did not forsake the Israelites in the wilderness even though they rebelled against Him because of His manifold mercies.  He had great compassion on them and was gracious unto them.  He was a good and apt help for them in the wilderness.

Some of the “May I help you” counters in the Railway Stations do not have men inside it.  Even if anyone present they might be annoyed answering repeated questions from each passenger.  Only our God can be a good help in this wilderness life and He will not forsake us.

Many might say some couples are made for each other and the wife is the suitable partner or helpmate for her husband.  But no person can help you 100% since both husband and wife were brought up in a different environment and might have many differences.  It is God who brings people together and make them live a life of adjustment.  Also people who promise you to be with you always will be the first person to leave you soon.  So God alone in this world can be our absolute help in times of trouble.

Who needs help in this world?  It is those who fear.  God says to those who fear, “No matter how terrible the situation you are in, I am here to help you.”  He gave you 366 “Fear Nots” in the Bible one for each day.  God will be your Good Help in the wilderness because of His manifold mercies.

Prayer:  Lord, please be my Good Help in this path of wilderness.  According to your manifold mercies please help me.  Thank You!

3.    MAINTENANCE IN THE WILDERNESS

Nehemiah 9:21 Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

It is easy to buy a new electronic product, but to maintain it is a problem.  Even when we keep it in a closed room undisturbed, dust spreads on it.  It needs cleaning very often.  That is why most companies now ask their customers to put AMC (Annual maintenance Contract) so they may maintain the product once a year.  People would not think whether the company will run next year or whether the concerned person will work in the same company.  They will just trust in the contract.

Some sisters might fail to check whether the provision is over and chide their husbands for not taking care of the family.  But our God will not forget us.  He will give us right things at the right time.  The Lord sustained the Israelites and there was no lack among them.  There was divine maintenance of their fabrics since it did not torn or worn out for forty years.  Also their feet did not swell.  Science proves that every nerve in our body gets connected in our feet.  That is why when someone does a foot massage or when a nerve point is triggered in the feet most ailments of the body get healed.  The Lord knew this secret long back and that is why He kept the feet of the Israelites healthy in order to avoid most ailments.  Hallelujah!

Now I am going to give you a new terminology – LMC which means Life Maintenance Contract, a contract which God is putting with you to sustain and maintain you throughout your life.  Praise God for that!

Prayer:  Lord like how you maintained the Israelites in the wilderness please also maintain me, my job, and my family.  I commit everything into your hands.  Thank You!

4.    ROCK IN THE WILDERNESS

Job 38:26 - To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, a wilderness in which there is no man.
Here in this verse we see God speaking about Himself.  Usually when man describes himself people might say he is boasting.  But God has to say about Himself and only then man might come to know of His Divine Wisdom.

Usually in our church when there are less people on one side we switch off the AC on that particular side in order to save the power.  But God caused to rain even in the wilderness where no sole of man’s foot have ever dropped.  This is the major difference between man and God.  Whether man asks or not, God does supernatural things.  The lightening that occurs in a fraction of a second is well enough to lit the City of New York for a month.  He gives even things we do not ask of Him.  He is exposed as a Rock here in giving water in the wilderness.  He will also satisfy your needs in a Supernatural Way.  This Rock is our Christ.

Prayer:  Lord we have now come to look at you.  You are our Rock.  Man cannot help me but I believe in you and your words.  Please be my rock in this wilderness life.  Thank you!

5.    VICTORY IN THE WILDERNESS

Psalms 75:6,7 - For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south.
The NIV translation says, No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves.  Only God can create new things from a non-existing one.  He will create a new flight route for you if you need to travel to a particular place where there is no possibility of flight travel for instance.  He will be your Victory in the Wilderness.  The one thing you need to do here in order to gain victory is to confess that Jesus is the cause of all your past efforts, job, etc. and was not achieved by your own efforts.  When you honor God by confessing so, He will continue to be your Victory in the Wilderness life.  He will also uphold you and sustain you.  God is the one who puts down one in order to exalt one high.  He will exalt you at the right time.

Prayer:  Loving father I now confess that all my victories are because of You and You are the one who enabled me to achieve many things.  Please continue to be my Victory in this life of Wilderness and enable me to lead a Victorious life.  Thank you!