Lessons learnt in my 'desert'
Posted 02-17-2009 at 10:55 PM by topsyturvy86
My definition of ‘Dry spell’: A period of inactivity in one’s life ... where there seems to be stagnancy and nothing appears to be happening ... no progress is being made, you’re just not getting to where you want to be. We all go through this right? (I hope it isn’t just me)
I’ve been going through a dry spell for a couple of months now and have gone through every emotion possible; from anxiety to sadness, to optimism, to pessimism, to confusion, to mild depression, and finally to calm. In this process, through my desert/ my transition period, I believe God has been trying to teach me something/ some things which I thought I should share.
It is only normal and natural to get all anxious and impatient in the desert but what does the bible say about that? Philippians 4: 6 & 7 says “Be anxious about nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.†This has to be one of the hardest things I’ve had to do; totally casting my cares upon Him and letting go. I’m a type ‘A’ person, so you can just imagine! I find I have to do this continually and whenever I do, I feel more at peace, like everything is under control.
Patience - How to wait on the Lord. I have finally come to the understanding that the fact that the Lord is silent doesn’t mean he doesn’t know/he hasn’t heard you; Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that He cannot save; nor His ear heavy that He cannot hear.†When things just aren’t working out and/or it seems like there’s silence, we must remember that “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord, and have been called according to his purpose†(Romans 8:28). Also, His ways are not our ways and his thoughts not ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). So it might all not make sense to us what we are going through but God knows best.
I have also learnt that before anything great happens in life, there is always a waiting period; e.g. pregnancy. There is time involved in growth. This is usually a time when God is moulding you, strengthening your character, and getting you ready for what he has in store for you. It is a time to trust God, exercise patience, and get ready, not give up. For example; Jacob, Nelson Mandela, and so on. Imagine if they had given up in the desert! In the desert, it is important to remember that the heart of the Father is good towards you. Everything that happens now is for a reason and probably for my good as I might not be quite ready or have the capacity to handle what I am asking for just yet and as someone rightly said, “If your gift takes you to where your character cannot sustain you, it will explode and destroy you.†While you’re pressing on forward, God is preparing the way for you. For example, Exodus 23: 27 – 31, God is telling the Israelites how he would give them promised lands and from verse 29 He says; “ I will not drive them out from before you in one year lest the land becomes desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. ...†Some of us are not lucky enough to know why there is a wait for our blessings, but we have to trust that God knows all and his thoughts towards you are thoughts of good/peace and not of evil to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
It is agitating but it’s not all bad being in transition ... looking at life around, we can see that anything that is of worth is underground and under pressure: Gold, oil, diamonds, and so on. It is the sand that irritates the oyster that gives it its pearls. Someone once said that the greatest time in your life is a time when God places you in seclusion. That’s where you learn and grow. Psalm 51: 17 says “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart – These O God, you will not despise.†It takes broken soil to produce crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken bread to give strength, when the heart breaks, it opens up and allows the word of God to sip in and make an impression on your heart.
Pastor John Hagee has been preaching a great message on ‘Promise -> Problem -> Provision’ lately and it goes like this; when God gives you a promise, you’re probably going to have to face a problem (e.g. Joshua 1:2 and then chapter 12). This is usually to build up your strength and character for the provision. The bigger the provision, the bigger the problem; the training giving to someone that inherits your farm isn’t the same you’ll give to someone inheriting the whole business. He goes on to say that how we react in the problem determines how long we’ll stay in it. E.g. the children of Israel’s 40 years stay in the wilderness due to loss of faith and trust in God, complaining, and moaning. Instead, in the desert, we should be thankful to God like Job, have faith and trust in God, focus on the positives, and pray. Before he gets you out of the problem, He has to get all the impurities out of you so you do not destroy yourself.
I’m still in transition but moving closer to restoration and I’m excited and expectant! Some helpful Bible stories for time in the desert: The book of Job, the book of Esther, The story of the Israelites in slavery and how God delivered them. I’m sure there’re more but these have really helped me so far. I’d love to find more.
I’ve been going through a dry spell for a couple of months now and have gone through every emotion possible; from anxiety to sadness, to optimism, to pessimism, to confusion, to mild depression, and finally to calm. In this process, through my desert/ my transition period, I believe God has been trying to teach me something/ some things which I thought I should share.
It is only normal and natural to get all anxious and impatient in the desert but what does the bible say about that? Philippians 4: 6 & 7 says “Be anxious about nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.†This has to be one of the hardest things I’ve had to do; totally casting my cares upon Him and letting go. I’m a type ‘A’ person, so you can just imagine! I find I have to do this continually and whenever I do, I feel more at peace, like everything is under control.
Patience - How to wait on the Lord. I have finally come to the understanding that the fact that the Lord is silent doesn’t mean he doesn’t know/he hasn’t heard you; Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that He cannot save; nor His ear heavy that He cannot hear.†When things just aren’t working out and/or it seems like there’s silence, we must remember that “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord, and have been called according to his purpose†(Romans 8:28). Also, His ways are not our ways and his thoughts not ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). So it might all not make sense to us what we are going through but God knows best.
I have also learnt that before anything great happens in life, there is always a waiting period; e.g. pregnancy. There is time involved in growth. This is usually a time when God is moulding you, strengthening your character, and getting you ready for what he has in store for you. It is a time to trust God, exercise patience, and get ready, not give up. For example; Jacob, Nelson Mandela, and so on. Imagine if they had given up in the desert! In the desert, it is important to remember that the heart of the Father is good towards you. Everything that happens now is for a reason and probably for my good as I might not be quite ready or have the capacity to handle what I am asking for just yet and as someone rightly said, “If your gift takes you to where your character cannot sustain you, it will explode and destroy you.†While you’re pressing on forward, God is preparing the way for you. For example, Exodus 23: 27 – 31, God is telling the Israelites how he would give them promised lands and from verse 29 He says; “ I will not drive them out from before you in one year lest the land becomes desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. ...†Some of us are not lucky enough to know why there is a wait for our blessings, but we have to trust that God knows all and his thoughts towards you are thoughts of good/peace and not of evil to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
It is agitating but it’s not all bad being in transition ... looking at life around, we can see that anything that is of worth is underground and under pressure: Gold, oil, diamonds, and so on. It is the sand that irritates the oyster that gives it its pearls. Someone once said that the greatest time in your life is a time when God places you in seclusion. That’s where you learn and grow. Psalm 51: 17 says “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart – These O God, you will not despise.†It takes broken soil to produce crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken bread to give strength, when the heart breaks, it opens up and allows the word of God to sip in and make an impression on your heart.
Pastor John Hagee has been preaching a great message on ‘Promise -> Problem -> Provision’ lately and it goes like this; when God gives you a promise, you’re probably going to have to face a problem (e.g. Joshua 1:2 and then chapter 12). This is usually to build up your strength and character for the provision. The bigger the provision, the bigger the problem; the training giving to someone that inherits your farm isn’t the same you’ll give to someone inheriting the whole business. He goes on to say that how we react in the problem determines how long we’ll stay in it. E.g. the children of Israel’s 40 years stay in the wilderness due to loss of faith and trust in God, complaining, and moaning. Instead, in the desert, we should be thankful to God like Job, have faith and trust in God, focus on the positives, and pray. Before he gets you out of the problem, He has to get all the impurities out of you so you do not destroy yourself.
I’m still in transition but moving closer to restoration and I’m excited and expectant! Some helpful Bible stories for time in the desert: The book of Job, the book of Esther, The story of the Israelites in slavery and how God delivered them. I’m sure there’re more but these have really helped me so far. I’d love to find more.
Total Comments 3
Comments
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Thanks for this post. Very encouraging.Posted 02-17-2009 at 11:04 PM by phynestone 
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I am going through a stagnant time right now. Thanks for posting.
Posted 02-17-2009 at 11:44 PM by locabouthair
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You're welcome. Thanks for reading. Hopefully I can post about the positive outcome soon.Posted 02-18-2009 at 04:57 PM by topsyturvy86
