Not all “wilderness” experiences are the same. Some are caused by sin or disobedience, and some are Holy Spirit training exercises. We must know what kind of “wilderness” we are in so we can know how to respond. Let’s take a look at each one.
The Wilderness of Opposition
Sin can reroute us into a spiritual wasteland. When the Israelites rebelled against the Lord, He multiplied their years in the desert. “You will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you,” He told them (Numbers 14:34). Most of Israel’s wilderness was a “wilderness of opposition” – God’s opposition to their disobedience and unbelief (Hebrews 3:17-19).
Sin is an evil power that stands contrary to God. When we allow unresolved sin to grow and become habit, not only do we experience a wilderness of separation, but also of divine resistance. “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? ...That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud…” (James 4:4-6).
Trying to walk against the stiff headwind of God’s resistance is an unnecessary and exhausting and futile activity. It is the wilderness of opposition. How then do we escape? James continues, “But He gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:6-10). In other words, James is saying, “Repent.” Forsake your sin and turn fully to God.
Contrary to popular opinion, “repentance” is not a bad word. It is not the voice of spiritual tyranny or the rant of an angry street preacher waving his Bible – and spewing insults – at passers-by. Repentance is not legalism. It is not the demand of controlling leaders, bad religion, or an irate God.
The call to repentance is God’s merciful invitation to receive forgiveness, change our ways, become healed, and escape sin’s power. It is God’s extravagantly kind insistence that our sins do not have the last word; we are not doomed to remain in our bad habits. Repentance paves the only roadway out of the wilderness of opposition.
But we must understand what repentance is. What James describes above is not just a change of behaviour – even a radical change of behaviour. Repentance is a total reshaping of mind and lifestyle that centres on Jesus Christ. Genuine repentance is not as much a matter of turning from sin as turning to Jesus. “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22).
If my destination is north, but I am travelling northeast, it does not help to make a complete U-turn. Making a U-turn is a radical response to finding out I was headed in the wrong direction, but it does not send me in the right direction. It sends me southwest, not north. Change according to my own wisdom is not enough, however radical my new direction may seem to be.
If repentance were always about making 180-degree U-turns, then it would only be for people who live in the most flagrant, vicious sins, moving in a direction precisely opposite to Christ. Such repentance would have no relevance for those who walk with the Lord, aim to please Him, but get slightly off course. But when we realise that repentance is less about turning from sin than turning to Jesus, we learn that repentance is something that we can do any time the Spirit convicts us even of the subtlest sin. So if we’re only a couple degrees off – may be an attitude or mindset gets out of sync with the Spirit – we can recalibrate so that we’re once again aligned with Christ.
This is a very important principle. Many have prolonged their wilderness by focusing on the wrong thing. They’ve been dwelling on their failures and shortcomings. They beat themselves up, living under a constant barrage of condemnation and shame. “I will never overcome this issue. I’ll never be able to live like a true Christian...” Time and time again they try to turn away from their sins, but with no victory. The sense of guilt, shame, and unworthiness has even caused some to turn away from Christ. Thus they extend their wilderness indefinitely – a far worse situation than their original struggle.
But when we turn from sin to Jesus Christ everything changes. Jesus is the beauty of holiness (Rev. 1:12-20). Jesus is our magnificent obsession (Phil. 3:7-11). Jesus is the baptiser in the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11), who empowers us to live victoriously (Rom. 8:13). Jesus is the great high priest who sympathises with our weaknesses and helps us when we’re tempted (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus is our life (Col. 3:1-4). Rather than thinking about how much we’ve failed, let’s focus on Jesus Himself. That’s what repentance is. If you find yourself in a wilderness caused by sin, rebellion or disobedience, put your eyes back on Jesus and turn to Him with your whole heart. Move in the direction of Christ and you will find your way out of the wilderness of opposition.
Now read TIP #2 - ASSESS YOUR SITUATION - Part 5 (The Wilderness of Promotion)
Whether you're facing a wilderness or have in the past. Order today Daniel Kolenda's 'Wilderness Survival Guide' Combo Pack - as a spiritual "Survival Guide" for the desert — the supreme source of wisdom both for enduring the wilderness, as well as navigating safely through it to God's promised destination.
Click the link above to buy the pack!
TIP #2: ASSESS YOUR SITUATION - Part 4 (Understand Your Surroundings)
Daniel Kolenda
INTRODUCTION - THE PATHWAY OF ADVERSITY
Daniel Kolenda
"If you're going through hell, keep going!" So said Winston Churchill during one of the worst crises in world history. And these words of wisdom still apply to anyone passing through a trial today. Adversity does not have to become our destination. It can be a pathway to something greater. Maybe you are passing through a difficult season in your life. Perhaps you feel spiritually dry and alone. You might feel as though your prayers are not being heard and you wonder if God even knows where you are. You are not alone. Millions of believers have passed through these troubled waters and experienced the same emotions. King David sang about the "deep sunless valley of the shadow of death." John of the Cross wrote of the "dark night of the soul." Even Jesus went through times of suffering when He had to offer "prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death" (Heb. 5:7). People often refer to such seasons as, The Wilderness. The wilderness is a hard place. But it's as crucial for our lives as it is painful. While a desert season feels terribly wrong, and loneliness and despair may seem to reign, God is with you and He desires to use the wilderness for your eternal good. To reap its benefits, however, you must understand its nature and purpose. That's the reason I wrote the Surviving Your Wilderness book and have created this special, email series. It looks to the Bible as a spiritual "Survival Guide" for the desert – the supreme source of wisdom both for enduring the wilderness, as well as navigating safely through it to God's promised destination. But first things first. If you have not been born again into the family of God, then the wisdom that follows cannot apply to you. Before a person receives the mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ, he or she is lost in a perpetual wilderness that stretches beyond this world and into the next. And there's no way out – except one: repent and believe the Gospel. Entering God's Kingdom by making Jesus your Lord and Saviour makes you a child of the most loving, powerful, and wonderful Father. He knows how to guide and take care of you as you traverse life's journey, even when it leads you into a wilderness. His wisdom for the wilderness is what I want to explore in this timely, email study. To do that I will adopt six tips survival experts give for those stranded in the wilderness. As you will see, the secrets for surviving a physical wilderness bear striking parallel to those for surviving a spiritual one. Survival Tip #1 - Don't Panic Survival Tip #2 - Assess Your Situation Survival Tip #3 - Find Shelter Survival Tip #4 - Build a Fire Survival Tip #5 - Drink Water Survival Tip #6 - Find Nourishment Now read Survival TIP #1 - DON'T PANIC Whether you're facing a wilderness or have in the past. Order today Daniel Kolenda's 'Wilderness Survival Guide' Combo Pack - as a spiritual "Survival Guide" for the desert — the supreme source of wisdom both for enduring the wilderness, as well as navigating safely through it to God's promised destination. Click the link above to buy the combo pack!
SURVIVAL TIP #1 - DON’T PANIC
Daniel Kolenda
Surviving a physical wilderness takes more than the skills to build a shelter, start a fire, and purify water. It requires a certain psychology, a mindset, a will to live that overcomes the fear and stress associated with crisis. In fact, some people who possessed the skill still died when stranded in a physical wilderness because they lacked the will. And others who lacked the skill but had the will, found a way to survive. Upon entering a spiritual wilderness, our tendency is often to let our imagination run wild. "Will I ever make it out?" "Why is this happening to me?" "I don't feel ready for this." "Does God not realise what I'm going through?" "Is He angry with me?" "Is He judging me?" "Is He even real?" Though it's natural to ask questions like these, obsessing over them depletes our resolve to believe God. And since these questions relate to the very nature of God, their responses must be biblically sound. That's why our study begins here. In the wilderness, perspective is everything. So if you find yourself in a wilderness: don't panic. Take a deep breath. Take a moment to remind yourself who God is, who you are in Christ, and what the Bible says about His faithfulness during troubled times. Fear makes you susceptible to lies from the enemy. He will lie about God's faithfulness and love for you. He'll even lie about God's existence, or about how valuable you are to Him. Such lies are meant to sap you of spiritual stamina. But that's just when the "will to live" must rise the will to live in the Spirit while you pass through desert regions. For God's children in the wilderness, the "will to live" does not merely refer to a desire to survive. It refers rather to an earnest determination to believe God. During spiritual drought, you must determine sometimes against all circumstances, emotions, and even the advice of friends that God is real. He is good. He is faithful, and you will make it through to the other side with Him. Don't let the enemy or circumstances define who God is for you. Refuse to allow yourself to believe anything but God's Word. Resolve as David did during a spiritual desert: "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!" (Ps 57:7). One of the most important things you can understand is that even when it seems like everything around you is spinning out of control, if you are a child of God, there is nothing that touches your life that is not ultimately under God's supervision. Everything in your life is somehow "Father filtered." He loves you dearly and deeply. He is watching over you, and won't allow anything to separate you from Him. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38). Allow God's invincible love to cast out all of your fear. "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) Now read TIP #2: ASSESS YOUR SITUATION - Part 1 (The Resource of God's Word) Whether you're facing a wilderness or have in the past. Order today Daniel Kolenda's 'Wilderness Survival Guide' Combo Pack - as a spiritual "Survival Guide" for the desert — the supreme source of wisdom both for enduring the wilderness, as well as navigating safely through it to God's promised destination. Click the link above to buy the pack!
TIP #2: ASSESS YOUR SITUATION - Part 1 (The Resource of God's Word)
Daniel Kolenda
Those stranded in the wilderness must constantly evaluate their situation. They need to take stock of their resources and understand their surroundings. That way they can move forward with a level head and a good idea of what's necessary to get through. What are your Resources? If we were lost in the wilderness, our odds of survival would drastically improve if we possessed a few basic supplies like food, water, a knife, or matches. Never are these provisions more important than when our survival is at stake. This is also true for the spiritual wilderness. The resources God has given us for spiritual life are always precious, but in the wilderness we must rediscover them and cling to them like never before. These resources are the Word of God, the fellowship of saints, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God God's Word is an oasis of truth in any spiritual desert. No matter how barren the season, it is an ever-present source of renewal and strength. It does not depend on outward circumstances to be effective. Christ's Word "dwells among you richly" (Col 3:16) because "the word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart" (Rom 10:8). When outward conditions contradict the truth, the truth must determine our inward condition. "You desire truth in the innermost being" (Ps 51:6). This allows us to live and speak from our heart - the hidden chamber that stores God's Word - and not from our circumstances. "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Ps 119:11). This is especially important when the enemy takes advantage of our wilderness by flooding us with lies and temptations. Our only weapon against him is the truth of God's Word. That is our wisdom for the wilderness. Jesus exemplified this in His own wilderness when He responded to the devil's temptations by quoting Scripture (Matt 4:1-11). He reached into His internal arsenal, found just the right texts, and fired truth back at his enemy. God's written Word has incredible power when we believe. It is our greatest resource during dry seasons. Not only does it protect us from lies, but God's Word also reminds us of His purpose for the wilderness itself. The wilderness can knock us off kilter and make us feel like something is terribly wrong. But the truth of God's Word provides wisdom to put everything in perspective. The two disciples walking the road to Emmaus were suffering the pain of a sudden spiritual desert. They were totally disoriented, darkened with the despondence of dashed hopes and a chilling sense of prevailing evil. Their hero had died. Jesus of Nazareth, the mighty prophet whom they thought would redeem Israel, seemed to perish in shame like a false Messiah. Religious leaders mocked and murdered Him. Now their aspirations of freedom and glory lay buried with Him. How could this have happened? How could such hope be turned so suddenly into a wasteland? Jesus comes along incognito. He walks beside them and interviews them. He learns what they are discussing and why they are so sad. Then He completely transforms their perspective by explaining the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:27). "Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26). Notice that Jesus does not first reveal Himself to them in person, showing them that He is alive and well and walking right next to them. Rather, His identity remains hidden while He explains from the written Word that their circumstances are not dismal after all. They are necessary to God's plan of salvation. Jesus does not change their circumstances; He changes their perspective through the wisdom of the Scriptures. Now they will understand, not just that Jesus came back from the dead, but that the whole "tragedy" was actually God's plan from the beginning. There was no other way to forgive their sins and exalt the King. Truth from the Scriptures transformed their viewpoint, not their situation. That is the power of God's Word. It is a most wonderful treasure when you find yourself in the desert. As you assess your resources, rediscover the Word - because in the wilderness, perspective is everything. Now read TIP#2 - ASSESS YOUR SITUATION - Part 2 (The Fellowship of the Saints) Whether you're facing a wilderness or have in the past. Order today Daniel Kolenda's 'Wilderness Survival Guide' Combo Pack - as a spiritual "Survival Guide" for the desert — the supreme source of wisdom both for enduring the wilderness, as well as navigating safely through it to God's promised destination. Click the link above to buy the pack!