Desert Pt 3 - The Prodigal's Desert

This will be my last post for a while regarding the seasons of "desert" that we find ourselves in. This post should be one of the most obvious to us, but somehow when we actually drift into this type of desert we get caught up with mirages and confusion and can often have a hard time discerning where we actually are.

I'm referring to this desert as "the Prodigal's desert". This is the desert you wander off into at some point all on your own. The thought process usually goes something like this, "They don't understand me...God doesn't understand me...life isn't fun enough as part of the caravan...I know what's best for ME..." and so on.

So we pull away from relationships that give us accountability. We stop trying to pursue God's will by praying and studying His word. We start making selfish decisions and disregarding what we've been taught by those who love us. Like the prodigal, we take what's "rightfully ours"...our time, money, and resources, and we think only of ourselves.

Before long, we find ourselves empty inside; longing to feel loved...desiring to belong.

When I went through this desert as a younger man, I could only describe it this way: Have you ever had a sunburn that was so bad that even the wind blowing would hurt and ache? It was like my soul was sunburned. From the inside out I ached. I was irritable, sad, depressed, lonely, and thirsty in a way I'd never experienced. I was in the prodigal's desert.

So here's the deal. If this desert is so obvious...why do people stay there? Here's a few reasons I think you might still be there:

1. You feel that you've let God down so much that He won't let you rejoin the caravan. But let me tell you...God is waiting at the end of the driveway...with binoculars...searching for you to come home. He can't wait for you to get back so he can wrap His arms around you and sprinkle clean water on you and bring healing to your sunburned soul.

2 .You think it's too far of a journey to get back out of this desert. Like, you might not survive if you try to make it back. Let me tell you something. You aren't going to survive if you stay where you are either. And it's not as far a journey as you think. No matter how many steps you've taken away from God's plan for your life...it's only one step back. God is waiting right behind you friend.

3. You keep chasing mirages that offer hope and survival in your lonely desert. Remember my first post. Just because good things may happen in the desert...it doesn't mean that's where you are supposed to be. Don't let those mirages fool you into thinking that they can actually sustain life for you. You are delirious friend.

Action points:

1. Remember that God has never stopped loving you...there's no power in heaven or on earth that can separate you from His love.
2. Don't let the howling winds and the scary heat convince you that the journey is too far. Stop right where you are...turn around and crawl, walk, or run back to the place God has for you.
3. Wake up. The vultures are circling above you. And it's not to entertain you. This is serious business. Quit staring at the mirages.
4. Don't let other people who have decided to stay in the desert convince you that you can all make it together. There is no "together" in this desert. Everyone else in this desert is looking out for only themselves, just like you.

I hope this is helpful and not too preachy. I hope you'll find your way out of whatever desert you may be in. And, I pray that you'll be able to help those near you out of their deserts as well.

God bless,
Johnny

Desert Pt 2

In this post I'm continuing a series that I started a few days ago regarding "desert" seasons in our life. In the first two posts I talked about being in a desert that we find ourselves in because of rebellion and lack of faith.

In this post I'd like to talk about what I'll refer to as the "Rite of Passage" Desert. This is the desert that we sometimes are led to by God Himself. This is a desert that we are actually "supposed" to be in. I think there are several purposes for this type of desert experience. I'll try to cover a couple that stand out to me.

Purpose 1: To come to the end of ourselves. This is a place that we MUST come to in order to walk a faith filled life. If we don't decrease so that the Father can increase...we're liable to stay stuck in mediocre land. So we realize in this desert that we aren't enough for ourselves. We realize that Man doesn't live by bread alone...but by the word of the Almighty God. We stop trying to rely on our own cleverness and start looking for God's provision, direction, and protection.

Purpose 2: To prepare us to follow Jesus. Jesus said that anyone who would want to follow Him would have to deny their selfish ambition and take up their own cross. This desert experience is a big fasting experience. One of the things that Christ's desert experience did was prove to his flesh that it was not God. It prepared Him for the ministry that lay ahead. It prepared Him for a homeless, poor, misunderstood life.

Purpose 3: To get us away from all the noise and learn to recognize God's voice again. Think about this: There's no way that I could describe my wife's voice to you with enough detail that you'd actually be able to recognize her if she called you. However, if you talked to my wife on several occasions over the course of a few weeks you'd have "learned" her voice and would recognize it very quickly. After long enough, you'd be able to hear her across a crowded mall. You'd recognize her laugh and probably even her "gasp" or "sigh" from within a crowded room. So it is with God's voice. And the best way to learn what His voice sounds like is to be removed from all the other noise and clutter that's in this world. The desert is still and quiet. Then, you'll be able to recognize God's still small voice even in the midst of the craziness.

So what do you do if you've been led into this desert?

Action points:

A. Realize that this is a controlled experiment. All the factors have been predetermined by God Himself. Nothing comes as a surprise to God.
B. Be willing to "let go" of the parts of yourself that may be getting in the way of you fully pursuing God's will for your life. Let the heat sweat some of the carnality out of you.
C. Listen for God's voice. He's gonna speak to you in this desert. If you're busy freaking out and running in circles hollering for help from everyone you know...you might miss Him even in the desert. Be willing to be quiet and still.

I hope this is encouraging to someone. More to come tomorrow. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Johnny

3 types of Desert (Not Dessert) Part 1

This is a continuation of my last post "In the desert?". I'd like to cover 3 types of deserts that we find ourselves in. I'm sure there are more and would love to hear your thoughts. But here's the first of three that I'm most aware of.

1. The "Go To Your Room" Desert. This is where Israel found themselves after refusing to move forward into the land that God had promised them. We find ourselves in this kind of desert not just from disobedience, but from bratty disobedience. Imagine a child receiving a gift on Christmas morning and refusing to open it because they think it will be too hard to unwrap. Especially if you've proven to them that you'll help them with the tape, the box, and even assemble the thing and put batteries in it; EVERY TIME. It's the last gift. It's the one you've been saving for them. They asked for it all year long. You moved heaven and earth to prepare it for them. You worked overtime for 6 months to pay for it. And they stomp their foot at you and say NO. You realize in this moment that they are not ready for the gift. They would probably abuse it and not appreciate it anyways.

As Christians, I believe God sends us into a desert experience sometimes because of our total lack of faith. We stand with our hands clinched towards heaven that our lives are too hard. We stand whining at God that we want more...that we want a car like our neighbor has...that we deserve a bigger house. With this type of attitude, we are actually accusing God of not knowing and providing what is BEST for us. So, the desert makes us take inventory. The desert makes us realize just how good we had it. It makes us appreciate simplicity. The desert causes THIRST. We find ourselves completely at the MERCY of God in order to just survive. Our bratty attitude eventually fades. And then we're ready for God's blessing again. Catch this, "When we find rest in God's provision, we become ready for God's blessings."

Has God not proven that He'll take care of us? Has He not proven that when He says, "Go" that He'll go with us? God maybe calling you to trust Him and act on your faith in order to receive that next blessing. Are you willing? Or will you end up in a desert for a while..."in your room" for a while.

Action Points for those in this type of desert:

a. Take inventory again
b. repent from the "lack of trust" attitude
c. Know that even in this type of desert...God is still with you and will care for you
d. Get ready to act when God releases you again to take steps of faith

Remember, just because good things happen in the desert, it doesn't mean that's where you're supposed to be. So if you are in this type of desert, don't get comfortable there.

I hope this helps someone today. I'll continue with Desert type 2 tomorrow.

In the desert?

Here's a thought for you: Just because good things may happen in the desert, it doesn't mean that's where you're supposed to be.

The fact that miracles happened for Israel while they wandered around the desert for 40 years does not indicate that the desert was God's plan for them. God provided food for them from heaven and water from a rock. It still didn't mean that they were "supposed" to be in the desert. That was just God's mercy for his kids.

God's plan for them, and you, was the promised land. It would require faith in action, sacrifice, moving into the unknown. It would take work and commitment and dedication to achieve the goal that God had set for them.

Don't mistake "good things happening" for God's approval on your current location or mode of conduct. Is God calling you out? Is He calling you to move forward?

The kingdom of God needs innovators, not laggards. If we aren't willing to stand up, step out, and move forward into God's plan for us, we are destined to wander around in the desert until enough of us have died off that the younger generation can lead our churches and our communities into God's full purpose and blessings.

Just a thought. What do you think?
Johnny