Wilderness

"Bless the LORD O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. " (Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV). Amen, thank you LORD.

Often times, I cross reference Scripture verses with the heart that it draws you to search the Scriptures. My testimony when I started reading the Bible for myself after listening in to a sermon, every other book became insignificant. I stopped spending hours in bookstores because I discovered there is something different about the Bible. When you see and experience God's truth for yourself, it transforms you. When I read the Bible for myself, I found what I was searching for all my life and my prayer is you do as well in the name of Jesus, amen.

Today's Word is from Mark 1:11-13 (NKJV)

11. "Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

12. Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.

13. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Jesus, the Son of God had a wilderness season! Often times when you are experiencing a terrible circumstance or situation, the enemy wants you to think that you are on your own and alone, but that is a big lie. As a child of God, not only do you have God's presence with you but You are also loved deeply by God and no circumstance or trial in your life has the power to alter God's love for you. However, it is important to have this understanding when undergoing or experiencing challenges. When Jesus was in the wilderness, despite the temptations and the difficulty He experienced in the wilderness, the understanding that He was God's Beloved with His Father's approval and one with whom God was well pleased. I believe this was a firm foundation for every temptation by satan and other trials He may have experienced during His wilderness season and ministry as well. God did not love Jesus because of the works He did, His love for the Son was assured and settled based on God's character. 1 John 4:16 says, "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."

In the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness as well. They too had angels ministering to them just like Jesus. The only difference is their wilderness journey was filled with God's miraculous mighty hand. With Jesus, He knew and believed the love that God had for Him. There were no miracles, God's love was an understanding and knowledge to Jesus.

On the other hand, the children of Israel also experienced a wilderness season. However, because of the hard bondage they had experienced, their knowledge of God's love was limited. So God displayed His love through miracles, signs and wonders. This was the only way they could 'believe'. However, despite the miracles and wonders of God they experienced and saw, miracles did not have the power to transform and change their hardened hearts. As a result of their unbelief, the generation that left Egypt never entered the promised land except for Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 14:24).

The Bible is filled with people who experienced wilderness seasons like Abraham & Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the porphet Samuel, David, etc. All these people went through a journey of believing God concerning the spoken Word over their lives up to when the Word came to pass by God's power. For example, in Genesis chapter 16, Sarai asked her Egyptian maid to sleep with her husband to get a child because the human part of her considered since she was past child bearing age, that may have been God's way of blessing Abraham with a biological child. But ALAS! Thankfully, Hebrews 11:11 tells us Sarah received strength to conceive seed when she judged Him faithful who had promised. Friend, let us judge God faithful for He will always do what He speaks. All in all, if you are experiencing a wilderness season, hold onto God and His Word, believe in His love and goodness towards you and remember that God is well pleased with you. Just like Jesus and the children of Israel, God sends His angels to minister to you as well. If Jesus was able to conquer the wilderness, you too will do so with the grace and knowledge of God - AMEN!

Prayer: Father, thank you for Your presence that continually surrounds us in every season of life. I ask that You send forth Your ministering angels to align, arrange all that You have prepared for Your sons and daughters. Thank you for the faith and strength to conceive seed. Thank you Abba for the knowledge of Your love and faithfulness concerning our lives that is found in the Word. Thank you Abba that the wilderness has not consumed Your sons and daughters and they have arrived in their respective promised land not by power, not by might but by the Spirit of the LORD in the name of Jesus, Amen. Thank you LORD.

I'll end with this Word found in Hebrews 4:14-16 (NKJV)

14. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Invitation to salvation: If you would like to be born again into God's Kingdom, that is saved and have a personal relationship with God as Your Father and you as His child by receiving His Son, Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, I invite you to say this confession with me:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

Congratulations, YOU'VE BEEN REDEEMED by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. To the glory of the Almighty God. Amen. In case you do not already, please join a church community and get water baptized!