God is able to move heaven and earth in favor of His people, in favor of those who seek Him and love Him. Many times, throughout the Christian walk, to reach God’s objectives, it is necessary for us to go through some processes. For these processes will make us grow in faith, in experience, and make us intimate with God.
We must understand that God’s ways, as well as His thoughts, are infinitely different from ours. Many times, God will lead us through different paths so that we can achieve His purposes.
God Leads Us to the Desert
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8)
In the process of the Israelites’ deliverance, we understand that God leads us to the desert to perfect our faith and obedience to His word.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (Exodus 14:13,14)
And without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
God wanted the Israelites to trust entirely in His power and protection. God leads us to the desert to teach us that we should not fear those who can harm us. For our God is infinitely greater to grant deliverance to His people.
God leads us to the desert to make us firm and constant in His presence. We cannot have an oscillating faith before God, but rather we must have a faith that is constant.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
God leads us to the desert so that we can understand that it is not we who fight our wars. For the one who fights our wars is God and, therefore, we are more than conquerors.
God Leads Us to the Jordan
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. (2 Kings 5:10)
There are moments in the Christian life when we will be invited to dive into the Jordan River. For many times we are like Naaman, not physically ill, but carrying something infinitely worse than leprosy, which is the self, elevated ego, pride and etc. Naaman thought that everything should be done according to his will, in his time and in his way.
In the walk of faith, many times we behave or encounter people like that. For this reason, God leads us to dive into the Jordan River. For the Jordan River means the one that descends, that is, the river that descends.
It is necessary that we humble ourselves before God, understanding that everything happens according to His will and His divine desire. God leads us to the river that descends to generate brokenness in our hearts, to end our self and, finally, to make us recognize His greatness and mercy toward us.
Naaman believed that he only needed to be cured of his leprosy, but God wanted to deal beyond Naaman’s illness. For God wanted to deal with Naaman’s innermost being, generating in him brokenness and humility. Every time we are invited to dive into the river that descends, we are led to brokenness and life transformation. For this reason, dive into the rivers of the spirit.
God Leads Us to the Potter’s House
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (Jeremiah 18:4)
We are led to the potter’s house, for when we are in God’s hands, we ourselves break and become new vessels according to God’s will and desire. We are led to the potter’s house to be molded and perfected. So that we become vessels full of God’s presence.
God Leads Us Before the Storms
At a certain moment, the Lord Jesus released a word saying: “Let us pass over unto the other side of the lake.” And suddenly there arose such a great storm that the waters were already entering that little boat. God is teaching us that He will always be in our boat, that is, God will always be walking side by side with us.
In the race of faith, there will be moments when God will be with us side by side. But there will also be moments when He will be afar off watching us. We will many times be walking through the desert, diving into the Jordan, visiting the potter’s house and we will also face many storms.
The interesting thing is that in all these scenarios, many times God will be with us side by side, but also many times we will experience God’s silence. Many times we will take our steps and feel alone, but God will be with us to watch us.
Just as a father accompanies his child’s first steps, in the same way God is in our lives. There will be moments when God will allow us to walk hand in hand. But we will have moments when we will have to walk with Him only in silence. For He desires to generate in our lives experience and an unshakable faith.
Every time we walk and stumble, but recognize our mistakes and ask God for strength to continue, just like a father, God also holds our hands and says:
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)
For Everything God Has a Purpose
We understand that for everything God has a purpose. If we are facing deserts, Jordan, storms, potteries, calm or scarcity. In everything God has a purpose.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Job teaches that we must receive God’s purposes, even if we are suffering. We must receive God’s purposes for our lives. For if He allowed it, it is because we are able to overcome.
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. (Job 2:10)
David, before facing the giant Goliath, first there in the field fought with the bear and the lion. And this generated in David experience and courage to face the Philistine giant.
The battles we faced yesterday were just training to achieve our victory today. Do not give up, go through the desert, dive into God’s deepest river and face the storms. For beyond the storm there is a God who will make better days dawn over your life.
