Reading day four of the bible plan I’m in, it was talking about how Christ went from baptism to wilderness then ministry. It talked about how there was that time between baptism and ministry that Christ went off into the wilderness. He went out to fast and then was tempted, but I believe that there are times for sure that God lets us go through a time of wilderness before our ministry can start. Depending on how stubborn and how blind we can be, the longer the trip can be.
I know that I went through a few years of wilderness after getting saved and even being baptized. I could say all of the right things and pretend to do all of the right things but my heart was FAR from Him. (Matthew 5:8) I was being an adulterer to God, cheating on Him while He remained faithful to love me. He allowed me to continue to drink and smoke and chase after my flesh in other ways too. He let me fall flat on my face time and time again because He knows that there are times that we have to get to the lowest point before we will look for help. Like always, He is there with His hands out waiting to pick you back up and even carry you if He needs to.
My wilderness temptations from the devil were not ever responded to with scripture, unless I was trying to bend it to make it match what I needed for the moment. At one point there was something that I was trying to justify and I had backlash from everyone including my current pastor, and so I went to an old pastor I had as a kid to see if he would agree with me. He just pointed me to Romans 12:18 which says “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” It irked me because I just wanted him to be on my side. Then I slowly realized what he was saying.. It ended up being for the best.
God did eventually pull me from the wilderness and put me on the path that I am on even today. I look back and see that each step and each place that I’ve lived, He put me there for a reason, and He moved me on for a reason. I’ve been a part of a lot of really cool ministries over the past 18 years, some just helping out, some starting out and some going to the next level. What I hope I can do is be encouraging to everyone I come in contact with both in and out of church and shine the light of Christ in the deepest pits of darkeness and maybe show someone else how to get out of their own way.. or should I say wilderness..
Don’t forget that because of Israel’s whining and disobedience they got to stay in the wilderness for 40 years..