TIME TO COME OUT OF THE WILDERNESS

The season changes and it is time to come out of the wilderness.  This is what I sense the Lord is doing in a number of lives at the moment.

A number of people have been in the wilderness wandering around and going through this period of sanctification.  But the Lord calls you out now to step into the Promised Land and move into the fullness of you in Christ.

I have seen the time of moving into the wilderness occur after you have been saved or when you have sought a deeper position in the Lord.  This happened in my life and for a number of people I know.  You initially experience the joy of being saved and knowing we have a Lord and Saviour and this newness goes on for a while.  But if you then choose to step into more of Him then He will accept that from you and start to grow you into your identity and who you are in Him.

This will come with time in the wilderness. This time in the wilderness for His children is shown throughout the bible and happens to all those who stepped up to be who they were meant to be in Christ.

Genesis 12:10

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

Abram has his time in Egypt before coming out and becoming Abraham.  He went through a process of transformation and although we aren’t told a lot about his time in Egypt it is sure God was doing a work in Him to bring Him to a point where he could be named Abraham.

Israel has to come out of Egypt and the wilderness to enter the Promised Land to enable all that was said over Israel to be achieved.  This time in the wilderness was a cleansing time to enable who the Lord wanted in the Promised Land to come in.  The old died and the new came in.

 

Matthew 2:19

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

Jesus came out of Egypt to the Promised Land so He could fulfill His ministry

This was a parallel for us to understand.  Jesus was sinless but he had time out in the wilderness before He came into His ministry in Israel.

When we have come out of Egypt (the wilderness) it is so that we can fulfill out ministry.

We die to the world (Egypt) in the wilderness so that we come into Him and His kingdom.

 

Matthew 3:3

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

We need our wilderness time to prepare us for the Lord and make us straight and righteous.  When you have reached that place we can come into what He has and we come into the Promised Land.

 

WHY WERE WE IN THE WILDERNESS?

Deuteronomy 8:3

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

4 “Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.

5 “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you.

 

He wants our heart and we need to be broken to come to that place.  If you are in the world comfortable it is very hard to truly come to Him and fulfill all you were meant to be.  In the wilderness you can come to Him and truly understand that it is ALL Him. Without that understanding it is impossible to stand up to the giants in the Promised Land and walk in the victory.

Look at Joseph who spent all those years in prison (his wilderness).  He was transformed in that time from being of the world (himself) to being of the Lord. He could then step into the calling, promises made over Him.  He was glorifying the Lord and it wasn’t about himself.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WILDERNESS?

Psalm 66:10

For You, O God, have tested us;

You have refined us as silver is refined.

11 You brought us into the net;

You laid affliction on our backs.

12 You have caused men to ride over our heads;

We went through fire and through water;

But You brought us out to rich fulfillment

 

He brings us to fulfillment to a new place of peace.  How long will that take, fourteen years for Joseph, forty years for Moses.  How long for you.

Psalm107:4

They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;

They found no city to dwell in.

5 Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them.

6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

And He delivered them out of their distresses.

 

He brings us from our distresses to a new place of peace in Him. We lean on Him.

 

1 Peter 4:12 

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;

13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

 

Acts 14:21

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

 

1 Peter 5:10

10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

You are going to go through fire, through tribulation through tests in the wilderness.  He has a transformation task to do to you as He can’t release you to the Promised Land until you can carry it.

He wants you to recognise it is Him that does it (not you), it is his glory (not yours), and He wants you to be able to handle the giants in the Promised Land.

You have a task to do in the Promised Land so He prepares you for it.

 

Matthew 7:13

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

14 “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

 

In the Promised Land he wants us to find the true way in Him.  This is a narrow path not a wide worldly path.  It is a walk and not all come out of it in fact few do.  Because it isn’t necessarily an easy time in the wilderness and you can get stuck there.  Avoid being stuck there.  Surrender and transform.

 

But now is the time He is saying you who have been walking in the wilderness and have found this path it is time to come out and step into the promises.  He says “ I am calling my children out to be who they were meant to be, to walk in all they were meant to be, now is the time, not tomorrow, not next year. But now.  Be obedient and follow my calling and I will bless you and anoint you.”

Be one of the chosen and cross the Jordan.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:24

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

 

He brings you out of the wilderness so He can complete His word over you.  This is the season where you will start stepping into the words He has spoken over you.

Rejoice.