GOD IN THE WILDERNESS - PART VI (June 15, 2012)

This message would be the continuation of the previous messages some weeks ago titled God in the Wilderness.

Song of Solomon 3:6 - Who is this coming out of the wilderness….
This book of the Bible talks about the conversation between the bride and the Groom.  The bride calls the one coming out of the wilderness as her Beloved.  Now we are going to look as to how the Beloved is to the Bride in the past, present and in the future.  And also in what ways the Beloved helps the bride.  Since we are the Bride we will be seeing how the Beloved is going to be for us in our wilderness lives.

1.    New Thing In The Wilderness

Isaiah 43:19, 20 - Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Here we see God is making a new way and rivers in the wilderness.  He is creating a non-existing thing here.  He says that He will create a new thing and give it to you.

When you hear God’s word, pray with faith holding fast to the Word believing and it will happen.  The things God is giving you will be brand new and not secondhand.  Jesus went on the donkey on which no one traveled.  The Tomb where Jesus was laid was a brand new one.  So if you are in a plan of buying a secondhand one just stop and think because God is willing to give brand new thing instead of that.

Sometimes you might be frustrating because of the way you behaved in a particular situation and would be regretting for that.  God will make you new by removing all unwanted and filthy habits if you pray diligently for that.  God not only creates new things but also renews a person too.

The Lord is promising a new thing in your wilderness life.  Not the usual things so far you have been seeing but a brand new one which you might not have given a thought for it.

Prayer:  Lord I am feeling depressed since I am hated by all.  Even my family members do not understand me.  Please make me new and also do a new thing in my life.  Thank you.

2.    Prosperity In The Wilderness

Isaiah 51:3 - For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

The Lord is promising the one who reads this verse to make his or her life like the Garden of Eden.  According to our knowledge there would not be any water in the wilderness.  So if God needs to make wilderness like the Garden of Eden He needs to create a new thing.  The land of wilderness will be dry and so God needs to change the nature of the land.  So far you would have only seen dryness in your life but God is creating a prosperous life for you now.  He will never allow His children to be poor.  Seeing the God-given Prosperity, you will be filled with joy and gladness.

I have seen many families in financial crisis when they were new to the church.  But God has exalted them highly when they became faithful believers and come regularly to Church.  This is our God who makes us multiplied thousand-fold.

Some readers might think this Pastor is preaching Doctrine of Prosperity all the time.  It is not so since when God is with a person He will be blessed abundantly.  Those who are praying for a house and those who desire to have an individual house, God is going to give you a big house with garden surrounding it.  Our God desires our prosperity all the time.  He has called you to prosper as your soul prospers.  So when you have close fellowship with God and faithful to him even in your dryness He will definitely make you prosper.

Prayer:  Lord, please make me prosper.  I promise that I will be faithful to you in my dry life.  Please command a satisfactory blessing in my life.  Thank you.

3.    Overcoming In The Wilderness

Matthew 4:1, 10, 11 - Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.
Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Jesus started His ministry in the wilderness where He was trained by satan.  But He overcame him through the Sword which is the Word of God.  Like Jesus, God also wants us to be trained in the wilderness.  If Jesus had to go to the wilderness for training we also need to go.  But many do not want to wait and get trained by God but want to receive instant blessings.  When we surrender unto God for His Will to happen in our lives we will shine forth.

In the wilderness life there will be experience of overcoming through the Word of God.  We need to gain victory by the Word of God against satan and for this we need to know the Word of God.  Read the word of God, memorize it and use it as a faith weapon at the time of trials and temptations.

Prayer:  Lord, I need to overcome satan through the Sword which is your Word.  Kindly give me Grace to read your Word and to memorize it.  Thank you.

4.    Prayer In The Wilderness

Luke 5:16 - So He himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

It is recorded here that Jesus prayed in the wilderness very often.  He was busy with the ministry to the extent that he had no time to eat.  He wanted to have close fellowship with God amidst His ministry and that is why He took a break often and went to the wilderness to remain with His God alone.  Jesus did ministry throughout the day and prayed all through the night and so He could do a successful and victorious ministry.  He was filled with the Spirit of Prayer.
We also need to fast and sit in the presence of God in order to be filled with the Spirit of Prayer.  If you are in the wilderness kindly spend much time in the presence of God and pray very often.  If you do so God will be very much pleased and bless you abundantly.

Prayer:  Lord, I accept that I spend a lot of time for many things and not for prayer.  Kindly pour your Spirit of Prayer on me so that I may pray mightily and please you.  Thank You.

5.    Commandments In The Wilderness

Acts 8: 26, 38 - Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.

So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Here we see Philip the Servant of God went to Wilderness following the instruction of the Lord without back answering.  Had we been in the place of Philip we would have asked so many questions to God as to why we need to go to the wilderness, what for and so on… But Philip did what the Spirit told him.  We might not understand in certain situations why God is asking us to do something.  But when we obey Him there will be a greater blessing.  We might even happen to meet men of great authority.  The Lord will lead you correctly to gain His blessings.

No one can stand against the Word of God.  If God has a certain plan concerning you it will get fulfilled no matter who works against it.  So there will be Commandments of God revealed in the wilderness.  Let us fulfill His commandments and His desires.

Prayer:  I am willing to obey your word fully and wish to do according to your Commandments.  Let your Commandments be revealed in my life of wilderness.  Thank you.

6.    Magnanimous In The Wilderness

Acts 13:18, 20 - Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.
“After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.”

In the wilderness there would not be enough water and there will be ration for the usage of water.  Arab countries have a rule that if a car stops for lack of petrol the owner has to pay huge fine as penalty since Arabians consider it shame for their country which has abundant fuel resource.

Our Lord is generous to His children and I believe the word generous would have had its origin from Him alone.  God will give the necessary things you need in your life as an inheritance.  He will be generous to your family too.

Prayer:  Lord I know that you are a Generous God and you desire to bless my family.  Thank you for being so magnanimous in my life.