The Wilderness Experience

The Wilderness Experience

                                                                          “THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE”
                                              

Introduction

Bible frequently addresses this issue. Scripture often depicts the experience of God’s presence or blessing with the imagery of water — streams, oases and rivers (Ps 1:3; 92:12-14; Jer 17:8). Conversely it describes times of distress, doubt, and alienation from God with the imagery of a desert or wilderness.  The wilderness is where water is scarce… where a traveler walks alone in the heat and the cold without shade or protection… and where wild animals live. In a spiritual wilderness God feels far away, distant, absent, and unresponsive… faith feels doubtful or uncertain… we feel alone, vulnerable, lost, and unpro-tected… there is the fear of hopelessness and the unknown… and it’s the place where Satan resides.

As soon as someone reaches a spiritual high Satan takes an interest in him.

As a result of the Devil’s work in the wilderness, many Christians not only question their faith, but God as well — they commonly think that God has forgotten or abandoned them… that all of their past efforts have been nothing but a waste… that they are simply too unspiritual and unlovable… that if God exists at all, He is a cruel, fickle monster… and that maybe this thing called Christianity is nothing but a myth.

No believer can fully avoid the wilderness experience — it is the path we must all travel.  

It can take the form of depression… a crisis of faith… or one or more traumatic life events, of which the list is endless. It is not a joyful time. It is a time when we feel alone, deserted, and dying of spiritual thirst in the midst of a debilitating spiritual draught. There is not much solace in a wilderness experience, but it should bring some comfort to us to realize that every believer is subjected to such encounters. All true saints go through a wilderness experienced in their life; some more than others. Why, you ask? Our first thought usually is that it was caused by some sin… but sin is not the reason God sends us into the wilderness

King David was no stranger to wilderness experiences (Ps 28:1-2; Ps 38:9-10), and though he sinned like you and me, yet he was “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:13-14; 16:7,13; Ps 51:10,17; 139:23; Acts 13:22). David wrote a number of psalms that speak to the hearts of fellow believers when they are experiencing spiritual dryness. Spiritual dryness, or the wilderness experience, is God’s way of getting us to exercise our faith even when there is little feedback or affirmation or emotional joy. In the wild-erness we are not being punished — we are being tested, and our faith is being strengthened.

The Wilderness Experience

When we go through the wilderness experience some choose to renounce the outside world, and others retreat into some spiritual, emotional or psychological cave, and cut themselves off from all normal social interaction and engagement in daily life.  Whatever our response, this is the point on our spiritual quest when we are confronted with the tricksters and demons of hell, and we question everything we ever learned — How can a loving God allow this to happen to me? Have I been fooling myself all these years? Does God really exist? Why doesn’t He show Himself, and take some kind of action, and mount a rescue mission. It’s during the wilderness experience that God seems to disappear — He can neither be seen, heard or experienced… and our faith seems hollow and meaningless.

When we are undergoing a wilderness experience, the devil will come alongside us — his primary purpose is to tempt us to doubt God and to serve him (and ourselves). As he did with Jesus in His wilderness experience, Satan will show us all kinds of things that will appear to be good, attractive and wonderful. Satan’s supreme goal is to get us to disobey God, to destroy our fellowship with God, and to steal our destiny & blessings. During the wilderness experience we will be tempted to give up and doubt the integrity of God’s Word—it’s a time when we become confused, frustrated, irritable, and angry… we move from thoughts of faith to thoughts of doubt; from thoughts of being faithful to thoughts of being self-centered. In the wilderness we are tempted to do our own thing, and try to make things happen in our own strength. We are strongly tempted to doubt and question. If we are to come out of the wilderness triumphantly, we must follow the example of how Jesus gained the victory over the devil in the wilderness.

How did Jesus defeat the enemy?  First, He fully submitted to God and His will for His life… and second, He fully trusted the Word of God.

The only weapon Jesus used was the Word (Mt 4: 1-11). That should tell us that only way the enemy can be defeated is by the Word of God

— as J. Vernon McGee says, “the Devil seemed to think it gave good answers, because he left Him!” (Mt 4:11). We cannot afford to respond with fear, doubt, worry, and unbelief… because when we do it only gives Satan a foothold in our lives. As we speak the Word over our situations and circumstances, and affirm the truth over and over again, it will ultimately settle peacefully in our souls, thus renewing our confidence that everything is truly working for our good and for God’s glory (Rom 8:28-29; Phil 4:4-7; Heb 12:10-11). The resultant peace that comes from God’s Word is actually a weapon or tool for us to use against the enemy’s attacks. As Yvonne Carson says, “When we experience God’s peace our enemy is completely dumbfoundedit silences him; he simply can’t understand how we can praise and worship God in the midst of trial and difficulty” (Job 1:8-22; 2:9-10; Jam 1:2-4). God’s peace doesn’t make any sense to him because it transcends creature logic (Phil 4:7). Moreover, our confidence in God’sWord lets the devil know we refuse to exchange the truth of God for his lies. When we maintain our peace in the wilderness, we honor God, and this overwhelms the enemy and he flees from us — “Submit to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jam 4:7). The only way to resist the devil is with God’s Word — you fight lies with truth (Jn 8:31-32, 44, 47). We must put the Word in our hearts in abundance (Eph 4:11-12; 1 Pet 2:2), for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Lk 6:45). We must renew our minds and our hearts with God’s Word that we might be able to stand firm in the presence of the Evil One (Ps 119:11; Rom 12:2; Eph 6:10-17). God’s Word is a living, incorruptible seed that always produces the fruit of righteousness (Heb 4:12; 12:10-11; 1 Pet 1:23-25; Is 55:11).

Your wilderness experience is that place where God hides you from public view and prepares you for “His purposes.” 

You may feel that the darkness of the wilderness will never cease, but the time will come when the Lord will bring you out of hiding to the place He desires for you. The South African writer Janine Johnson says that all believers actually think God is angry with them when they’re in the wilderness, because their pain is so great, but that is not soBelieving that God is not angry with you is the foundation upon which you must build your life!  Satan will do everything he can to get you to believe that God is extremely disappointed with you, and that He does not love you!  The “love of God” is the cornerstone of our faithIt is ground zero!  It is in the wilderness that God introduces Himself to us in a deeper and more profound way… and where He shows us that we are thirsty and dry—what better place to show us that but in a desert? As our thirst increases, we cry out to God and start searching desperately to find Him… and that’s exactly what God wants us to do! The Lord says, “You will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). Reflect upon the words of the psalmists in Psalm 42, when he was thirsting for God in the wilderness: “My soul pants for Thee,O God… my soul thirsts for God, for the living God… why are you in despair, O my soul?… Why have You forgotten me, O God?” The psalmist David then goes on to encourage us with these words: “Thou has taken account of my wanderings, and put my tears in His bottle” (Ps 56:8). So even though we have no idea where we are or where we are going — God knows — and He is right there with us in the desert capturing our tears and protecting us from the Evil One. Probably the two most significant miracles that occur in our hearts in the wilderness are these:

  1. The first miracle we experience is the realization that “God loves us unconditionally,” 

and that He is going to deliver us out of our bondage and fear. God uses our wilderness experiences to refine us into the person He predestined us to be (Rom 8:29; Eph 1:5,11; Phil 3:21), and significant spiritual growth only takes place in our hearts when we come to know that God love us unconditionally (1 Jn 3:1-3; 3:16; 4:7-10,18-20; 5:1-4), and that life is not about the little world we have tried to create, but about God’s world. That’s why the wilderness is a place where God builds our faith and builds our character… but that happens only when we realize that God really loves us. By the way, how can we really know that God loves us?  When we sin, He puts His arms around us and forgives us! Think about that! It’s why Charles Wesley penned those incredible words, “Amazing loveHow can it be that Thou my God should die for me?” Every believer eventually discovers the reality of God’s love in the desert.

  • The second miracle we experience is “God’s gracious provision of manna;” 

the more “manna of the Word” we eat the hungrier we become, and the more we want to know and understand. It is in the desert that we ask God to guide us to the answers of the questions that are in our hearts… and as we search and find answers, something begins to happen in our spirit… and God begins to feed us on the meat of His Word… and the more time we spend studying His Word the more we want to know Him… and the more we grow to know Him, the more our soul is nourished, and the more our inner man is strengthened… and as His Word sinks deep into the driest places of our souls, we experience the grace to traverse the wilderness in which we find ourselves.


The Wilderness Experience of Jesus

Matthew, Mark and Luke all describe Jesus’ wilderness experience (Mt 4:1ff; Mk 1:12ff; Lk 4:1ff). They tell us that the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The verb “drove” in Greek has a nuance of compulsion and violence, thus the Spirit violently hounded Jesus to go to the wilderness — this wasn’t going to be a trip to a beautiful mountain retreat; the devil of hell was going to hound him for forty days in a desolate wilderness! A wilderness in the Hebrew Scriptures is a barren, arid and dry place, a void, and a place where no life grows or thrives — it is a place cut off from life; a place inhabited by monsters and demonic forces; a scary place; a place of chaos; a place of wandering and restlessness. This was the place where the newly baptized Jesus was violently forced to dwell, and where he would encounter Satan himself. It was there in the desert that Jesus suffered from hunger, thirst, and loneliness… it was there that He was tempted to desperation, and to give up on God altogether. No doubt, many of you have gone through several wildernesses — perhaps a life-threatening or serious illness, the death of a loved one, separation from a partner, the suffering of a child, the death of a dream, failure, addiction, bankruptcy, loss of reputation, rejection of a friend, and on and on. As has been commonly stated by theologians, “Our baptism (i.e., our conversion) offers no respite from the struggles of life… like Jesus, all of us are eventually thrust into the wilderness of life.”

Though the wilderness is a place of darkness and despair, it should be understood that it is also a place where God is. When the Israelites left Egypt where they were enslaved and entered the wilderness — God accompanied them for all forty years! He drove them out to Sinai, but He did not leave them by themselves… nevertheless, the wilderness was not a picnic, nor was it at all what they thought it was going to be… rather than being a pleasant oasis, it was a barren wilderness with no food or water. Sound familiar? They had to wait on God to rain down manna before they could eat, and they had to wait on God to provide them with water… and because God didn’t function on their schedule, their sense of security was greatly threatened. From their vantage point, God didn’t seem to be their meal ticket after all… He wasn’t the God they thought would make their life easy; as such, they were disappointed in Him, and felt abandoned by HimSo they were also tempted to abandon Him!  Their faith in God was being severely tested. Emerging from the glorious event of the Exodus, and the parting of the Red Sea, the Israelites thought that since they were God’s chosen people… that God would act in a way that they wanted and could predict — they assumed God was predictably predictable, and that He would even exceed their expectations! But that was not the case — so the wilderness was a complete shock to them! Essentially it caused the Israelites to cry out: “How can God do this to us? He is not at all what we expected! We don’t want this God! We want a god that we can predict! a god that we can control! a god we can understand! a god who treats us good!” Conversely, when we feel as if God is not functioning the way we want Him to… when things are not going well… we are also inclined to think that God is mad at us or has forgotten us. As the Asian Episcopal pastor Noel Bordador puts it, “We all want a predictable God; that if we’re good, He won’t allow bad things to happen to us! We’re not into having a God who lets bad things happen to reasonably good people… so the wilderness experience makes us ponder whether we can trust and love God when bad things happen to us.”


The Wilderness Experience of Israel

In that precarious placed called the wilderness, the children of Israel learned to trust God, and to believe profoundly in His goodness and mercy despite the wilderness. Thus, they had to learn to trust that God is still good… that God is for them and not against them even amidst the unpredictability of life. Though God seemed unpredictable to them, they ultimately learned that He was predictably good. So the wilderness is a place of exile from a predictable kind of a God; we are forced to give up on that kind of a God. The wilderness forces us to let go of our control, and in the dark night of faith, we let God lead us in the journey to the Promised Land even if we get their circuitously by the way of the desert. The experience of the wilderness opens us up to a deeper and more profound faith in God and in His goodness even as we wander through the lonely desert. God says, “I will allure you, and bring you to the lonely wilderness, and there in your heart, I will speak tenderly… in the barren soil of your loneliness, I will speak my love… I will betroth you to Me forever as My spouse… I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and then you will know Me as your Husband, and as your Lord” (Hos 2:14-20). It is in the wilderness of life that God betroths Himself to us in such deep intimacy… an intimacy that doesn’t spring from factual knowledge of God, but an intimacy that comes from trusting Him in the midst of a desolate wilderness. The wilderness is not the end of the story, because the Scripture says that God always brings His people out of the wilderness… just as the Israelites and Jesus Himself emerged from their wandering in the desert. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the wilderness is the place where salvation dawns… the place that gives way to a land rich in water and life… the place that ceases to be a place of exile and alienation. The promise is the Promised Land (note the word “promised”), and we arrive in God’s time, and on God’s terms.

Another lesson do we learn in the wilderness, is that we learn to give up our illusion of a God that will make life easy for us… a God that will do what we want Him to do… a God of our own liking and making. As Bordador says, “It is the cross that helps us arrive at that position… if God can allow His Son to be stretched out on a piece of wood and left to hang there until He dies, then we cannot escape the reality and destiny of the cross. Ultimately, it is the cross that sustains us in the wilderness… that continues to give us faith and hope… because when we gaze upon it, we see not only death and abandonment, but that the Lord Jesus who endured the cross was not allowed to remain there… that He who felt abandoned by His Father was vindicated. And so like Jesus, we will not be abandoned, that we may also see the Land of the living.”


The Wilderness Experience of the Believer

The spiritual wilderness feels differently for different people — for some, it is a place of intense and devastating loss; for others it is associated with feelings of emptiness, weariness and listlessness. The experience can last for days or for years. For some the experience leads to a permanent loss of faith; they simply give up the fight (since Scripture teaches that all genuine believers “overcome,” it can therefore be assumed that those who permanently abandon the faith were simply never genuinely saved in the first place; this is the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints). For many believers the wilderness forces a change of faith, and a re-framing and re-defining of what Christianity really means to them…some emerge out of the desert with their faith in tact, but with a renewed sense of energy… others stay in the church, but remain in some kind of low-grade wilderness for the rest of their lives, believing that a deep nourishing faith is either a false expectation or simply beyond their reach. Brenda Rockell, the pastor of Cityside Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand, says: “The desert generally results in the changing or questioning of our faith… for many, the dismantling of previous beliefs and assumptions about God and Christianity is a process that leads to turmoil and pain, and to a sense that there is nothing left… [thus] their Christian vision is substantially dimmed…. [So] the desert can be filled with anger at God and a [continual] questioning of His love.” And then there are those who ultimately (and joyfully) exit the wilderness and experience a deep abiding intimacy with the Lord Jesus — this is God’s ultimate goal for each of us.

One very helpful thing to do when you find yourself in the desert is to “accept the fact” that you are in the desert. Obviously, if you’re in a desert, that’s where you are… and the acknow-ledgement of that fact can be a huge relief, and can give you a sense of peace even in the midst of it. Rockell says acceptance is a strong action that says, “I’m in water that I didn’t want or choose, but since I’m here I will roll with the waves, and keep my head above water, and hopefully that day will come when I land on shore.” Accepting that I’m in a desert also means accepting that this is a place I might be for a good period of time, so looking for some quick exit is not an option. We need to move fully through our deserts, facing whatever it is we need to face… it can be helpful to identify what kind of desert we are in, and if possible, why we are there — that can help give us some handles to the kind of process that’s needed to move forward. Another thing to know is that God is in the desert with us… He has not abandoned us… He is not just on the other side of the desert waiting for us to get through it… He is right there in the midst of it all. Rockell says that though that might be difficult to accept or believe, we need to at least hold it as a strong possibility as we move through the desert.


The Wilderness Experience of Elijah

One of the most moving biblical stories about the wilderness experience is that of the prophet “Elijah” (1 Kings 19) — he had just been engaged in some might acts of faith which put his life at risk, so he responded by heading out into the wilderness. Immediately after making his first complaint to the Lord, Elijah goes to sleep — he’s exhausted from his battle with the false prophets and the fears that now plague him. When we wield a lot emotional energy it drains us of physical energy also, so when we reach this point we desperately need to take time to rest. Before God converses with Elijah, He first attends to his physical needs — food, water and rest. Obviously, it is possible to over-spiritualize our needs and our experience (think about that)… so sometimes our first priority should be to take care of our physical well-being, that we might be strengthened to face the inner journey that lies ahead. A little exercise, good sleep and good food can go along way in the desert; though these things won’t necessarily resolve the sense of alienation from God, or the disconnection from faith, they can create the conditions for a more helpful engagement with those spiritual issues.

Elijah traveled into the wilderness for “40 days” to commune with God. The mention of “40 days” should also bring to mind the period of time the Lord Jesus spent in the wilderness… as well as the “40 years” Israel wandered in the desert before entering the Promised Land. Most Bible scholars believe the number forty is highly symbolic, and refers to a significant, purposeful, spiritual time in a person’s or nation’s life (see the supplemental study on the next page). There is a process of pilgrimage associated with the desert; there’s a journey we have to travel, and sometimes it is only at the depths, and after much wandering, that the encounter or shift occurs that moves us out of the desert. A really valuable part of that pilgrimage can be to get away from normal life for a little bit, to get out of town, or go to a retreat center — even if it is only for a few days. Getting out of the normal rut of life can create a very helpful perspective, in much the same way that one benefits from being refreshed physically.

Elijah tells his story to God… he tells Him of his pain, his anger, his fear, and his self-pity… he tells God his story, twice! Sometimes we need to keep telling God our story over and over until a shift happens — by the way, God is robust enough to hear our anger and our disappoint-ment as often and as forcefully as we need to express it. It can also be helpful to find a close friend with whom we can share our story (preferably someone who has experienced the desert as well) — someone who will listen non-judgmentally, without trying to “fix things,” but who can pray for us and encourage us, and check on us from time to time as to how things are going.

Elijah discovers that God is not in the fire or the earthquake or the rushing wind, but in the “silence.” God is not just in the major events of life that are often considered significant, but also in the small and quiet moments — that is when grace most frequently comes to us. That means, in the desert it is important to create moments when we are still before God (Ps 46:10), even if we have no expectation of God’s presence, and cannot or do not even want to pray. The stillness can allow things just to settle for a bit, and enable us to pay attention to what’s happening in our lives. Go for long walks, breathe deeply, smell the roses, and behold the beauty of God’s creation… and quietly let Him minister to your soul in His own way.


                                         The Significance of the Number “Forty” in the Bible

The number forty in Scripture is frequently used in contexts of testing, chastening, and probation; thus many scholars understand it to be the number of “probation” or “trial.”  This doesn’t mean that forty is entirely symbolic (it still has a literal meaning in Scripture)…but it does seem that God has chosen this number to help emphasize times of trouble and hardship. Here are some examples of the Bible’s use of the number forty that stress the themes of testing and judgment —

~When God destroyed the earth with water, He caused it to rain for 40 days and 40 nights (Gen 7:12).
~Moses spent forty years in Midian being prepared to lead Israel from Egypt to Canaan (Acts 7:30).
~Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights when he received the Law (Ex 24:18).
~After Israel’s golden calf sin, Moses interceded on Israel’s behalf for 40 days and nights (Deut 9:18, 25).
~The Law specified a maximum of 40 lashes that a man could receive for a crime (Deut 25:3).
~It took the Israelite spies 40 days to spy out the Land of Canaan (Num 13:25).
~The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land (Deut 8:2-5).
~The nation of Israel served the Philistines for 40 years before Samson’s deliverance (Jud 13:1).
~Goliath taunted Saul’s army for 40 days before David arrived to slay him (1 Sam 17:16).
~After Elijah fled from Jezebel, he traveled 40 days and 40 nights to Mt. Horeb (1 Kg 19:8).
~Jonah’s message to the Ninevites was that God was giving them just 40 days to repent (Jon 3:4).
~Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness before His encounter with Satan (Mt 4:1-11).
~Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance lasted for 40 days; and then came His ascension (Acts 1:3, 9).
~The period from the crucifixion of Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem totaled 40 years.

Is the Bible’s use of “forty” just happenstance or coincidental? I think not. Though some people place too much significance on numerology, and try to find a special meaning behind every number in the Bible, the number forty has long been recognized as being symbolically significant on account of the frequency of its occurrence, and the uniformity of its association with a period of probation, trial, and chastisement. I believe the “40 day” period that Jesus spent in the wilderness was not only important to the journey of Christ, but is also important to us as His followers — this was not only a time of tiredness, temptation and difficulty… but a time of connection, empowerment, and recognition. Jesus re-entered the world after wrestling with uncertainty, pain and doubt, and after overcoming His demons, fears and temptations. He was then ready for His ministry… more ready than if he’d gone straight from His baptism into His encounters with ordinary people. The author of Hebrews reminds us—“We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet did not sin” (Heb 4:15; 2:17-18).


How to Overcome the Wilderness Experience

The 16th century Spanish mystic “St. John of the Cross,” writes in his notable work The Dark Night of the Soul — “Souls begin to enter into this dark night when God draws them out from being beginners.” The process of faith formation, of transition through to maturity in Christ, is a process that inevitably contains darkness, doubt and desert wanderings. Though the experience is both confusing and discon-certing, the other side of the desert brings a far deeper and richer faith. The believers faith can be fostered if he will engage in spiritual reading and theological study — this will help him reconstruct his beliefs and learn new forms of spiritual practice, like meditation, contemplative prayer, the employment of music in personal worship, journaling, engaging with God through physical activity, and discovering a new kind of practical service or ministry that impacts the world around him. All of these behaviors can be extremely helpful.

The ultimate purpose of the wilderness is not only to develop a deep transforming faith, but to develop a profoundly energetic and rewarding intimate connection with God. The new wardrobe can embrace all kinds of wonderful colors and textures, including some of the previous garments, after a bit of alteration. Though the desert is indeed a dark and lonely place, if we will persevere and move through it like Jacob did when he wrestled with God (Gen 32:24-30; Hos 12:3-4), we will eventually emerge from it with treasures of insight, wisdom, strength and joy — hard won and precious not only to us, but also to God. It is lonely, cold and hard in the desert, yet it was there that Moses was prepared by God, and it is there that we too can learn to “love not the world” but “rely only on God.” By the way, there are “no religious crutches” for us to lean on in the desert; “no religious activities” in which to hide our true condition. The truth is, we do not need religion; we need to “know Christ intimately” — and intimacy only happens when we are completely alone with Him in the wilderness, where there is nobody else to turn to except Him.

Soul searching and “self examination” are the things that takes place in the wilderness. Christian author Peter Whyte reminds us that there are only “three roots” to all kinds of evil, that when we examine all sin we discover they all have their origins in PRIDEMONEY, and SEX (Cf. 1 Jn 2:16 — lust of the flesh = passions; lust of the eyes = possessions; pride of life = position). Men love status and ruling over others, and when they have it, pride will cause them to hang on to it (very often at the expense of others). Men often lie to impress their listeners with their own importance, or boast of their achievements — pride is at the root of the lie… pride resists being in a subordinate position… pride demands its rights… pride resists being humble… pride causes us to blame others for our problems. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10); men will lie, cheat, defraud, embezzle, steal and assault others to gain wealth. Sins that have their root in sexual desire include adultery, fornication, pornography, homosexuality, lust and rape. These three areas of our lives must come under the government of God if we are to share in His holiness. Scripture tells us that the bride “purifies herself” and “makes herself ready” — it is our task to clothe ourselves in fine linen, bright and clean, and this linen is our righteous behavior (1 Jn 3:3; Rev 19:7-8; Jn 17:19; 2 Cor 7:1; 2 Pet 3:14).

During the wilderness experience it is time to “focus on the goodness of God.” Reflect upon the truths of Scripture… audibly affirm them over and over again, until they settle peacefully in your mind and heart… as you accept & identify with the truths of God’s Word in the wilderness, you will develop a faith that greatly pleases God (far more than the faith that is accompanied by strong emotions and feelings). True, genuine faith actually has nothing to do with our “feelings” — the dynamic of the flesh is “feeling,” whereas the dynamic of the Spirit is “faith” — though our feelings at times may be of God and genuine, they are not a trustworthy instrument by which to live. The key for us as believers is to be conformed to God’s will regardless of how we feel. During the wilderness experience we may “feel” as though God has deserted us… we may “feel” as though our prayers have not been heard… and “feel” like our worship is completely uninspired and meaningless. The psalmist David had enough wilderness experiences to write a book of psalms, but he ends every one of them with “pure worship.” Ultimately, he never forgets who his God is, and he never forgets from where his strength comes (Ps 40:1-3; 46:1-3).

The only way to get out of your wilderness experience is to “ignore the symptoms” (get your eyes off of the “waves”) and believe the Lord and pray and worship Him for who He is — the key is to focus on the truths of Scripture. Wilderness experiences are all about “persevering” with God. Don’t give up! Trust God! Hang in there! He is faithful! Ultimately, God wants us to go through the desert and come out on the other side of it victorious. We must know that God is in complete control of our circumstances, and that He has His reasons for everything. Jesus told Simon Peter that he would be going through a wilderness experience… that Satan would sift him like wheat… but then He said, “But I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail, and when you are ‘turned again,’ that you strengthen your brothers’ (Lk 22:32). Jesus knows what we’re going through… and He has prayed for us as well that our faith will not fail. Though we all stumble along the way, the faith of the true child of God does not fail — it is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that keeps us moving “forward” on our spiritual journey. When we “pass the test,” God will bring our wilderness experience to an end, because we will have learned what God wanted us to learn; as such we then have a greater understanding of who God is, how He works, what His Word says and how we must rely upon it — as opposed to our feelings and emotions. Admittedly, that’s a lot of learning packed into one experience.

God’s ultimate desire for us as His children is that we learn to “walk by faith alone,” without continual feedback or affirmation. Let me tell you my story—as a young Christian God operated in my life in a “more revelatory” manner than He does today… the more I have grown in the Lord the “less revelatory” He has been in communicating His will to me. When I was younger in the faith, God would reveal His will to me in such a way that it was relatively easy to discern His leading… He more readily accommodated my demands when I was younger… He seemed to communicate His will to me through a “miraculous aligning of the stars” so- to-speak… circumstances would often develop that clearly pointed out His will for my life… moreover, He would confirm His will through other people, and give me a deep abiding peace and an inner confidence regarding His will. So, in a sense, God was partially directing my life with “visible signs” regarding His will… which means I was “walking by sight” to a degree — therefore to insist that God somehow communicate His will to us in a “revelatory fashion,” essentially is more akin to walking by sight than walking by faith. Demanding to “see the evidence” is a childlike faith, a “weak faith”… whereas trusting in the spiritual principles that God has been teaching us for a lifetime is a “mature faith,” and that is the place God ultimately wants each of us to arrive at. The more I have grown in the faith, the less revelatory the Lord has been in directing my life — it is if He has been saying to me: “I’ve been teaching and training you now for years, and I have put a lot of things in your spiritual tool box… I now want you to use those tools without the aid of extra-biblical revelation… I now want you to walk exclusively by faith, trusting in everything I have taught you over the years, and believe in My Word alone.” That, my friend, is God’s primary purpose for the wilderness experience.

As Peter Hess reminds us in his work “Radical Discipleship,” wilderness experiences are God’s way of disciplining and pruning those He loves (and we all desperately need it), building faith, breaking down our reliance on our feelings and our emotions, and crucifying the self or flesh. The wilderness experiences we go through are worthwhile experiences, and we are to embrace and accept them for what they are, and persevere through to the end. Ultimately, we need to react to wilderness experiences as mature Christians… and resolve to not wilt under the hot desert sun of spiritual aridity, but rather trust God knowing that the dryness is temporary and that He has a reason for it. Allow Him to do His work in you. By the way, everything God does is good — and God does wilderness experiences.  Abraham went through them, as did Moses, Elijah, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Peter, John, Paul, Timothy… and now it’s our turn.

The Sifting of Peter 

The night before Jesus went to the cross, Jesus told Simon Peter, “Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; however, when you turn back to Me, I want you to strengthen your brothers” (Lk 22:31-32). In the ancient world… wheat was sifted to separate grain from stubble… the good from the bad. When Satan asked to sift Peter, however, his purpose was not to get rid of that which was bad in him, but to destroy his faith so that nothing good was left. God in His omniscience allowed Satan to sift Peter to accomplish His own higher purposesCharles Stanley reminds us in his book, Handbook for Christian Living, that when Jesus said, “Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat,”  He used the plural form of “you” — so Jesus’ message was not just exclusively for Peter, but was one that was all-inclusive. Obviously, God in His omniscience allows Satan to have a limited degree of influence in all our lives… and though that can be unsettling for us, we must remember God always supervises the process and has the final word. So it is very important for believers to recognize that the devil must get permission from Christ to sift them — Satan doesn’t have a free hand with God’s children. The “accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10) has to get God’s approval before any grinding or sifting can take place.

Stanley says that the issue of “sifting” can lead us to a deeper understanding of the way God conforms us into the persons He created us to be. Jesus was not fooled by Satan’s plan to sift the disciples — He knew Satan’s mission was to defeat and destroy (Jn 10:10), yet He had His own mission and chose to allow Satan’s influence in their lives to accomplish His purposes (Gen 50:20). While God may allow us to be severely tested, God has faithfully promised to never leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5). In Paul’s letter to Titus, he gives us the reason for this God-ordained process in our lives — “He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Tit 2:14). So God allows us to be sifted in order to bring honor and glory to Himself. As John MacArthur states in His Commentary on Matthew (Mt 4:1-2), “Christians cannot be tempted (sifted) in a way that God cannot use for their good and His glory.” He uses weak, imperfect people… the strong (the self-assured and self-confident) have little need for God; they think they can make it on their own. So those of us who have faced our weaknesses head-on and watched as God took control of our inadequacies (2 Cor 12:7-10), using them for His glory, understand that siftable souls are precious in God’s eyes — they are refined gold (Ps 66:10; Prv 17:3; Is 48:10; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1 Pet 1:7). In the process of sifting us, God pushes us beyond our capabilities so that we have to trust Him; furthermore, He lets us fail at times so that we do not lose sight of our frailty and His perfection.

Just as Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not “utterly fail,” He let Peter know that he would suffer a set-back of sorts when He said, “when you have returned to Me” (Lk 22:32). Jesus was in essence saying, “Peter, you and your friends are going to be sifted… I mean really sifted, as you have never been sifted before… you will be shaken to the core, until you think you’re going to die… but it’s not going to be fatal… it will even cause you to wonder and doubt, but you’ll come around… and when you do, don’t forget what you’ve learned… and then you need to strengthen and encourage the others.” Sure enough in the hours that followed Jesus’ conver-sation with Peter, he fell — big time — he even denied that he ever knew Jesus! And then the Lord Jesus picked him up again… affirmed His unconditional love for him… embraced him… forgave him… and then reminded him of his calling to “tend and shepherd His flock” (Jn 21:15-17).


The Sifting of Believers

Sifted saints understand the value of the process that takes them from the heights of their self-sufficiency to the awareness of God’s firm hand in conforming them to His image. Though Peter was sifted by Satan, God had a different agenda for allowing the process: he was sifted to serve!(note Luke 22:32)… and God is still sifting His people today for this very purpose — we are to be “others-oriented” in life (servants if your will – Mt 12:18; 20:26; Gal 5:13)… not “self-oriented” in life. Our responsibility is to stay focused on God’s truth and not be swayed or distracted by temporary circumstances. If we will stay faithful to the process, we will see God turn our times of sifting into glorious monuments to His grace and mercy. Incredible as it may seem, God will even use our faith failures to bless others! By the way, once you get through a sifting process, you have an obligation to strengthen and encourage others who are in the process of being shaken and feel as if they are on the prong of a winnowing fork (2 Cor 1:3-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7, 13; 4:1,12,17-19; 5:6-11)—the main reason I have done this study is to encourage and help others.

Sifting is a struggle of the heart, the mind and the soul — it is an “inner struggle.” It is through our inmost thoughts and desires that the tempter comes to us… his attack is launched in our minds. The very power of the devil lies in the fact that he breaches our defenses and attacks us from within, and he finds his allies and his weapons in our own inmost thoughts and desires. As William Barclay says in his Commentary on Matthew, “Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.” He reminds us that there is no release in the believer’s warfare — it shall continue to the end. Christians often become worried with incessant temptations; they think they should reach a stage when the power of the tempter is for ever broken, but that is not what Scripture teaches. Believers probably reach this conclusion when they consider Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness… but it should be noted, Jesus’ temptations did not cease in the wilderness. The tempter spoke again to Jesus at Caesarea Philippi when Peter tried to dissuade Him from taking the way of the cross… His response to Peter was “Get behind Me, Satan!” (Mt 16:23) — Satan was the evil reality behind the temptation. In addition, never in all history was there a more excrucia-ting struggle with temptation then the one Jesus waged in the Garden of Gethsemane when the tempter sought to deflect Him from the Cross (Lk 22:42-44) — Luke tells us His sweat “became like drops of blood!” (Lk 22:44). From beginning to end Jesus had to fight several horrific battles with the Evil One, and that is precisely why He can empathize with us and our battles (Heb 4:15-16).

We’ve all been in “the sifter” from time to time, and it is comforting to know that God super-intends all the sifting. He says to Satan about our sifting, “This far and no farther” (Job 1:8-12; 2:3-6). God limits the sifting… He is mindful of our frame… and He knows the method that works best in each of our lives… He knows the intensity of the shaking in the sifting process… and He has set the length of the sifting. We are not at the mercy of Satan! Our lives are being sifted according to the wisdom and foreknowledge of God. Our sifting might include physical suffer-ing, financial suffering, humbling circumstances, overwhelming temptation, loss of employment, psychological depression, spiritual discouragement — whatever the method, our sifting is for a purpose, and that is to make us better servants. Another important point to remember is this — we go through wilderness experiences alone. As Barclay reminds us, “No [other human being] accompanies us in this struggle… there are certain things that a man must work out alone… there are times when no one else’s advice is any good to him… there are certain times when a man has got to stop [doing] and start thinking… it may be that we make many a mistake because we do not give ourselves a chance to be alone with God.” One of the biggest problems for believers is that they do not put forth an intentional effort to be alone with God.


Four Observations about the Wilderness

1. God always takes care of His people in the wilderness. Christian writer Frank Viola reminds us that when the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, God provided them with water from a rock and bread from heaven. The bread was called “manna” — it was a picture of Jesus Christ, our spiritual food (Jn 6:31-35; 6:49-51; 1 Cor 10:1-4). It didn’t take long, however, for Israel to grow weary of the manna; in the same way, you and I will eventually grow tired of the Lord’s provision in the wilderness… and like Israel, we will be tempted to murmur against Him. There is only one kind of food given in the wilderness, and it is not sufficient for the long haul. The manna is designed to get you and me through the wilderness experience, but we cannot live off of it beyond that point. By contrast, in Canaan, the fullness and the superabundance of the land are fully available to us… the produce of the rich and good land becomes ours to enjoy; and that produce is inexhaustible.

2. If you remain in the wilderness, you will eventually die. Simply leaving the counterfeit habitats of Egypt is not enough; if you don’t exit the wilderness, you will die in the desert. Viola reminds us that God always brings His people out of bondage so that He might bring them into the land of plenty. You can chisel that in stone. “He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers” (Deut 6:23).

3. The wilderness has but one goal: to sift us, reduce us, and strip us down to Christ alone. Those of us who have left Egypt need to be emptied of all our “religious baggage,” and the wilderness experience is designed to do just that. Viola calls it “a place of religious detox.” Consider John the Baptist: The Lord raised him up to call the people out of Judaism, the organized religion of the day; and those who followed John in the wilderness were stripped of everything that the old Judaism had to offer. They were dropping the religiosity of that system and starting over at ground zero. Most of the twelve disciples Jesus selected were followers of John the Baptist; they had a wilderness experience that brought them to ground zero. Compared to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, they were “clean slates” for the Lord Jesus to write upon.  They were “empty wineskins” for the Lord to pour His new wine into.  John the Baptist stripped them of the old, and Jesus filled them with the new.  As Viola notes: We cannot receive the new until we first let go of the old; old wineskins don’t patch well, and God doesn’t pour new wine into old wineskins (Mt 9:16-17). In addition to the Twelve, Paul also had a wilderness experience that brought him all the way to ground zero — shortly after his conversion, God led him to an Arabian desert for three years (Gal 1:17-18). Why? He was being detoxed… he was allowing years of human religiosity to drain from his veins… everything that Paul knew as a zealous Pharisee bled out of him in the desert — he was beyond being transformed…he had to have a “spiritual lobotomy!” The “change” that needs to take place in our lives is immense! None of us only need a little “mid-course correction! Think about it for a minute — God is in the business of “making us like Jesus Christ!” And we are no way near being like Him! The miracle of salvation is that God is ultimately going to make us like Christ! To paraphrase Wesley, “How can this be! I’m a catastrophic mess! Yet in spite of my corruption, God still loves me! This is absolutely incredible!” Unless you see your utter sinfulness, you will never appreciate the fact that God really does love you— “it is only by God’s amazing love that we are transformed into the image of His Son!” As David would say, “This is too wonderful for me to understand, I cannot attain to it!” And that, my friend, is what God does in the wilderness. In the wilderness God came to Paul in a way that he had never before known; he came to Him in “the face of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:11-12; 2 Cor 4:6). Although Paul was given his gospel by divine revelation in the wilderness, it took five years of living in the right habitat, in an ekklesia in Antioch, Syria, for him to learn the fullness of Christ. In order for Paul to be a dispenser of the new wine, he had to be drained of the old.

4. The Wilderness is a symbol of “new beginnings.”  After their forty-year stay in the wilder-ness, Joshua let the people of God across the Jordan into the Promised Land. In Hosea’s day, God led Israel through the wilderness to woo the nation back to Himself (Hos 2:14). After the Jews had been in exile in Babylon, the prophets spoke of preparing a pathway in the wilder-ness so that God’s people could return home. John the Baptist marked a new beginning for Israel by introducing God’s people to their long-awaited Messiah in the wilderness. And so it was with the apostle Paul, he began his apostolic ministry only after he spent considerable time in the Arabian wilderness. If you are living in the wilderness today, rejoice in that fact, because God is doing a transforming work in your life — He is making you more like Jesus, that you might be a choice servant of His by being His hands and feet and eyes and ears and mouth in this world (Eph 2:10).

A disappointment turned into a blessing(1)

A young man was to see his would-be inlaws and had prepared very well both in appearance and what he would say or not say. On his way to the house, he stopped by a shop to get a few things for a gift. On his way out of the shop, a child drinking a can of coke dropped the can on the floor just in his front and got his trouser and shoes stained. He was angry frustrated. The family of the child and the shop attendant helped to clean him up but the stain would not go and his body smelled of coke as well.

He was disappointed but a minute later his girlfriend called to be sure if he was on his way, he then did not have a chance that go home and change.

When he arrived at the home of his girlfriend, their dog will not leave him but hung around him throughout the visit.

The mother of the girl said, there must be something special about this man. I have seen many visited even today but this dog has never been friendly with any one like this, they must be something about this man. That was the beginning of the acceptance into a very diffciult family, even the girl friend was shocked.

The relationship developed and ended in a beutiful marriage. It turned out that the dog was fascinated by the smell of coke on this young man.

Prosper Where You’re Planted

I want to talk to you today about Prosper Where You’re Planted. It’s easy to think “When I get out of this challenge I’ll be my best. When this pandemic is over I’ll pursue my dreams. When I don’t have this trouble at work then I’ll get my passion back”, but while you’re waiting for things to change you’re not supposed to put your dreams on hold. God wants to prosper you in the difficulty. He wants to show your favor in the famine. Don’t wait for things to turn around then you’ll have a good attitude – you have to be your best where you are. God doesn’t have to bring you out of the trouble, he can cause you to flourish in the trouble.

You may be in a slow season, you’re waiting for doors to open, hoping to meet the right person, looking for a new position, but nothing’s happening. It’s tempting to get discouraged, “God when are you going to do something”? While you’re waiting you need to take steps to grow, develop your skills, be good to others. What you’re doing while the situation is not changing will determine whether you prosper where you’re planted or whether you just endure it. When God sees you giving your all when things aren’t improving, still pursuing your goals, still serving, giving, excelling, he may not bring you out of the challenge when you thought, but he will cause you to prosper in the challenge. What’s a greater testimony that God brought you out of the trouble or that he calls you to flourish in the trouble? That God stopped the pandemic or that you prospered in the pandemic?

Jeremiah 29:11 is a very well-known scripture. It says “These are the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope”. It’s interesting the context this was written in. The people weren’t in a good place, it wasn’t an uptime, a joyful moment. King Nebuchadnezzar had just taken the Israelites out of Jerusalem as captives and sent them to Babylon. Now the Israelites were living there in exile, not able to go home. Was a great disappointment. Their whole world was turned upside down. I’m sure they were praying, “God, deliver us. Please, get us out of here”. But the word of the Lord came saying that they were going to be there another 70 years.

You can imagine how discouraged they were, thinking they had seen their best days. God knew they were about to give up on their dreams, lose their passion. The prophet Jeremiah showed up and told them to do something significant. He said in verse 5 “Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat the produce. Give your daughters in marriage. Increase do not decrease. Prosper in the land which you are in is exile”. God didn’t say “I’m going to get you out so I can prosper you. I’m going to free you from this captivity so you can build, dream, see increase”. He said “I’m going to prosper you where you’re planted. I’m going to prosper you in exile. I’m going to show you my favor while you’re in Babylon”.

But notice, they had to do something. He said “Build houses. Plant gardens. Marry. Pursue goals”. They could have said, “God, that doesn’t make sense, this isn’t even our land. Once you free us, then we’ll get our passion back”. No, in captivity, in disappointment, dealing with loss you have to take steps of faith. You can’t sit back and think about what didn’t work out, “Why did this happen”? Be proactive, look for opportunities, shine at work, be a blessing wherever you go. God was telling them “I’m not going to turn this around immediately. You’re going to be here for a while, but while you’re here you don’t have to live defeated, you don’t have to give up on your dreams. My plans are to prosper you even while you’re in captivity. I’m going to prosper you even though you’re in exile”.

We all have times where what we’re hoping for is not happening as fast as we would like. We’re believing for a breakthrough, to meet the right person, see our family restored, but it’s been a long time. It’s tempting to get sour, lose our passion, but while you’re waiting instead of dragging through the day, if you’ll start being productive, building houses so to speak, pursuing dreams, using your gifts, God will cause you to prosper in exile, he’ll prosper you on the enemy’s territory. He’s not waiting to bring you out, he’ll prosper you in the pandemic. He’ll show you his goodness while you’re in captivity. Like the Israelites, life may have thrown you a curve, you feel like you’re in exile, gone through a disappointment, breakup, a child’s off course. You could settle where you are, accept that it’s not going to work out. No, get your passion back – you’re not in exile by yourself, you’re not alone in captivity, the Creator of the universe is right there with you. You may not understand it, but it’s a part of his plan. If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to keep doing the right thing when the wrong thing is happening. Keep believing, keep dreaming, keep growing. God didn’t bring you this far to leave you. It may not turn around as soon as you would like, but how do you know God is not going to prosper you in the difficulty, cause you to flourish in the fire, take you to new levels in the midst of that challenge?

We’ve all seen this with the pandemic. It seemed like it was getting better, and then another strain. We see the conflicts in Afghanistan, the earthquakes, the hurricanes. In one sense we could say “We’re in Babylon. There are difficulties, situations that are not changing”. Here’s the key: we’re not supposed to surrender, put our dreams on hold, “It’s too much to overcome. Just endure ’till he comes”. God is saying to us what he said to the Israelites, “Build your houses. Pursue your dreams. Go after your destiny”. The situation around us doesn’t have to change, God will prosper us in Babylon, he’ll prosper us despite what’s happening around us. Don’t live with the survivor mentality, “If I can just make it through, I’m on the enemy’s territory”. We may be on the enemy’s territory, but we are God’s property. God controls the universe. He doesn’t need permission from anyone to bless you. When it’s your time to be promoted, to see increase, to build, to take new ground, no person can stop him, no bad break, no loss, no pandemic – all the forces of darkness cannot stop what God has for you.

The scripture says, “The darker it gets in the world, the brighter it’s going to get in the church”. You and I are the church. The church is not a building, it’s people. The darker it gets around you, the more you’re going to shine, the more you’re going to stand out, the more you’re going to see favor. Don’t expect God to deliver you from every Babylon, but you can expect him to cause you to prosper in every Babylon. He may not take you out of that negative environment at work, but he will promote you in the midst of it. If God is not delivering you from the difficulty, maybe that’s a sign that you’re supposed to shine in the difficulty. His plans are to prosper you. He didn’t say that when everything was going great, he said that when they were in captivity. If you’ll have the right attitude, God’s going to cause you to prosper despite what’s coming against you, he’s going to cause you to flourish on the enemy’s territory. Not in Jerusalem, that’s expected, but in Babylon. That way people will know the favor of God is on your life.

My father went through a time when felt like he was in Babylon. Back in the 1950s he had been pastoring a successful church, they just built a new auditorium, held a thousand people. His dreams were coming to pass. Then my sister Lisa was born with something like cerebral palsy. My father went to a hotel for a few days to be alone. He read the scripture like he was reading it for the first time, and he saw how Jesus went about healing people and performing miracles. He came back to his church with a new passion. He thought they would be excited, but they didn’t like his new message of faith and victory. It didn’t fit their tradition. There was so much contention, he ended up having to leave the church. He had spent years pouring into those people, now there was nothing to show for it, he was in exile so to speak.

But I’ve learned: nothing happens without God’s permission. We may not understand it, it may not seem fair, but God knows what he’s doing. He wouldn’t have allowed it if it was going to keep you from your purpose. When you feel like you’re in exile, you’ve been pushed out, having to start over, gone through a divorce, been betrayed, dealing with the loss, it’s tempting to settle, get discouraged, think you’ve seen your best days – that’s when you have to dig down deep and say, “God, I don’t understand it. It doesn’t make sense to me, but I trust you. I know you’re still on the throne. You said your plans for me are for good. While I’m in Babylon I’m still going to praise you, still going to be my best, still going to pursue my dreams, I’m still going to believe for your favor”.

My father was disappointed. It was like the wind was knocked out of him. But he didn’t sit around in self-pity, he didn’t get bitter, “God why am I in exile? Why did I get pushed out”? He and my mother went out and found an old run down building, used to be a feed store. They started Lakewood with 90 people. He had a thousand members before, now just a fraction. He had a beautiful brick sanctuary, now this little wood building. Sometimes to reach your destiny you have to go backwards, so God can take you further forward. God doesn’t always do things in a straight line, in what makes sense. There will be closed doors, disappointments, people that walk away, things you didn’t see coming. You look up and you’re in Babylon. You were doing great in Jerusalem, but things unexpectedly changed. In these times it don’t make sense, you came down with an illness, lost a main contract, the friend betrayed you, you have to remind yourself that God is still in control. Being in Babylon is not a surprise to him. Don’t panic, God knows how to take what was meant for harm, and turn it to your advantage. He may not deliver you from it, but he will prosper you in it.

Being in Babylon is a test. Going through things you don’t understand, things that are not fair – that shows what your character is, that shows what you’re capable of handling, how much God can trust you with, how much influence you can carry, how much responsibility he can give you. What you do in the tough times will determine how high you rise. My father could have slacked off, “God, when you give me a big church I’ll be my best again. When I have a thousand members then I’ll study, then I’ll prepare and do my best”. No, my father preached to those 90 people like he was preaching to thousands. Never missed a service. While he was waiting for promotion, waiting for growth, waiting for favor, he developed his gifts. He served, he visited people in the hospital, he helped those in need.

10 years went by, the church still had less than 200 people. Those were very important years: years of testing, years of proving. God was seeing what my father was made of. Daddy proved that he would do the right thing when it was hard, that he would be his best when things weren’t growing, that he would build, dream, plant, even though he was in Babylon. 1972 it was like God opened up a faucet: people started coming to the church from all over the city. It grew to a thousand, then 2 thousands, then 4, then eight – here we are today.

My father would have never reached his destiny without being pushed out of that church. What was inside of him was bigger than the denomination he was in. Don’t fight the closed doors, the disappointments, the people that walk away – you don’t know what God is up to. Sometimes he has to move you away from what you’re comfortable with. You can’t see it, but he knows something is limiting you. You may go through these seasons of testing, seasons of proving. It’s easy to get discouraged, slack off, but you need to keep being your best. Nothing is changing, that’s okay, keep doing the right thing.

God told the Israelites, “You’re going to be in Babylon for some years. I’m not going to turn this around overnight, but while you’re here don’t put your life on hold. Build, plant, marry, increase”. We’re all going to have these Babylon seasons where nothing is improving. Like my father, you’re being your best, but not seeing growth – keep building, keep pursuing, keep serving, pass those tests. God may not bring you out of Babylon, but at the right time he will cause you to prosper in Babylon.

This is what happened with Joseph in the scripture. At 17 years old God gave him a dream that he would lead a nation and have great influence. He was excited, but his brothers not so much. They didn’t like the fact that he had a big dream, and that there was favor on his life. They were taking care of sheep in another city. His father asked Joseph to go check on them. When they saw Joseph coming, they thought this was their big chance to get rid of him. They threw him into a pit. They were going to leave him there, but a caravan of Ishmaelites came traveling through, they ended up selling him as a slave. Joseph was in a foreign country, working for a high-ranking military officer named Potiphar. Here, a few weeks earlier his future looked so bright. He was wearing the coat of many colors that his father had given him, his father’s favorite child, but life has a way of taking twists and turns, things that we didn’t see coming. Now Joseph found himself in “Babylon” so to speak, in exile, in captivity, just like the people in Jeremiah’s day.

And Joseph had every right to be bitter, discouraged – he didn’t do anything wrong. But Joseph understood this principle, that there are times we’re going to find ourselves in exile. Instead of sitting around in self-pity, he kept being his best, using his gifts and talents. He served with such excellence that Potiphar noticed him. He stood out from among all the other staff. Potiphar put him in charge of his whole house. The scripture says that Joseph became a favorite of Potiphar. It’s interesting how Joseph was a favorite of his father, that door closed, he went into exile, but notice how God works. If you keep using your gifts, keep being your best, favor will follow you into exile. He became the favorite of his boss. The favor didn’t leave him just because he changed locations, didn’t leave him because people were jealous, he had a bad break, he was in captivity. The favor on your life didn’t leave you because you’re in a pandemic, somebody walked away, you had a disappointment, it’s still there. Keep shining where you are. Keep excelling, keep serving, keep giving, the right people are going to be for you, the right doors are going to open. Being in Babylon did not stop the blessing God put on your life.

Genesis 39 says, “The Lord began to bless Potiphar because of Joseph”. Potiphar was an influential, successful leader. You would think Joseph would be blessed because he worked for Potiphar, but it was the other way around. Potiphar was blessed because of Joseph, a slave, a foreigner in captivity that had the favor of God. Wherever you go there is favor on your life. The location doesn’t stop the favor.

Joseph was a handsome young man. Potiphar’s wife noticed how attractive he was and she tried to seduce him. Joseph could have let his guard down, thought “Big deal, had nothing to lose, I’m a slave”, but Joseph had so much integrity, he was so honorable, that he wouldn’t give in. She lied about Joseph, falsely accused him. Potiphar was furious, he had Joseph put in prison. Now he’s not just a slave, not just in a foreign country, but he’s a prisoner. On the way to your destiny don’t be surprised if there are twists, people that lie about you, people that try to get you to compromise, jealous family members, co-workers that play politics. How we handle these times will determine whether we prosper where we are, or whether we get stuck where we are.

Joseph was in prison, but he didn’t get sour, he didn’t start complaining, he kept being his best, still serving, still using his leadership skills. Verse 21 says, “Joseph had favor with the chief jailer. Before long, he was put in charge of all the other prisoners and everything that happened in the prison”. God didn’t deliver him out of the trouble, he caused him to flourish in the trouble, he prospered in the prison. His environment didn’t change, but he kept seeing favor, promotion despite the bad breaks.

One night one of the prisoners Pharaoh’s former butler had a dream, and he didn’t know what it meant. Joseph had a gift of interpreting dreams. He could have thought “I’m not going to help you, have enough problems of my own”. He could have been bitter, but he used his gifts to help the butler, he interpreted his dream. What’s interesting is that his gift worked in the prison. Your gifts don’t quit working because you had a bad break. You went through a disappointment, you lost a loved one, you’re in Babylon – use what God has given you. Be good to others. Don’t put your gifts on hold because things haven’t turned out the way you thought, your gifts are going to make room for you. Your gifts are going to cause doors to open. Your gifts are a key to you reaching your destiny.

Joseph interpreted the butler’s dream, told him that in two days he was going to get out of prison. All Joseph asked for in return was for the butler to put in a good word for him. The butler agreed, got out of prison, forgot all about Joseph. Two more years passed, another opportunity for Joseph to be discouraged. But Joseph wouldn’t take the bate. He just kept being his best, being good to people that were not good to him, serving in a country that he didn’t want to be in. When you pass these tests like Joseph, you’re not only going to prosper each step of the way, but God is going to do some unusual things. He’s preparing you to go where you’ve never dreamed.

As you keep doing the right thing, you’re proving to God that he can trust you. We always want God to deliver us from the challenge, “I’m uncomfortable, I don’t like the opposition, these people aren’t treating me right”, but if you will do like Joseph and say, “God, even if you don’t deliver me right now, I’m gonna keep shining, I’m gonna keep praising, keep using my gifts, keep being my best”, then you’ll not only see God’s goodness along the way, but you’ll come into some explosive blessings, blessings that catapult you ahead, where suddenly you’re promoted, suddenly you get well, suddenly you meet the right person, suddenly you’re thrust to a new level of your destiny.

One night the Pharaoh had a dream, the leader of the country, and he didn’t understand what it meant. The butler suddenly remembered Joseph, two years after he interpreted his dream. He said to the Pharaoh: there’s a young man in prison, a slave named Joseph, he can interpret your dream. Think about this: if Joseph had not used his gift to interpret the butler’s dream, if he had been upset, in self-pity, we wouldn’t be talking about him. That’s what Jeremiah was saying to the Israelites, “While you’re in Babylon don’t waste these years being discouraged, thinking of all the reasons it hadn’t worked out. No, build, dream, plant, increase”. He was saying “Use your gifts. Stretch your faith, and you’ll prosper in Babylon. You’ll see favor in captivity”.

The scripture says (Genesis 41:14), “The Pharaoh sent word for Joseph and he was quickly brought from the prison to stand before Pharaoh”. He had been in captivity 13 years, it seemed like that was his destiny, but God knows how to quickly turn things around. He can quickly turn your business around, quickly turn your health around, quickly turn your family around. Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream, he was so impressed, he made Joseph the prime minister of Egypt, second in command only to the Pharaoh. Looking back we can see how all those steps were necessary for Joseph to get to the throne. The bad breaks, the betrayals, delays, disappointments, they were all a part of God’s plan. Had Joseph not kept a good attitude, not used his gifts, not been his best, he would have gotten stuck.

God is going to connect the dots in your life. You may not understand everything along the way, but you can be sure that God knows what he’s doing. He may not deliver you out of every situation on your timetable, but if you’ll stay in faith, he’ll cause you to flourish at every step of the way. He’ll prosper you wherever you’re planted.

A few years later Joseph had a son that he named Ephraim. Ephraim means productive, fruitful. He said in verse 52, “I’ve named him this, because the Lord has made me prosperous in the land of my suffering”. He was saying, “I had bad breaks, things weren’t fair, but God caused me to prosper despite what tried to stop me”. If you’re going to have an Ephraim, if you’re going to see God prosper you in the midst of the difficulty, you have to stay productive, keep using your gifts, keep stretching, keep being good to people. Don’t put your dreams on hold because you’re in Babylon. Like Joseph, God can make you prosperous in the affliction. Not when you get out, but in the pandemic, in the trouble, in the disappointment. You can shine, you can still build, still see great relationships, still accomplish your dreams.

This is what the apostle Paul did: he spent the last few years of his life in prison. He could have been sour, thinking “Man, this is how it’s going to end in Babylon, in exile”? But Paul knew that those prison bars couldn’t keep his gifts from coming out. While he was in prison, he wrote books of the Bible. Scriptures that we all quote today, “I can do all things through Christ”, “God will do exceedingly, abundantly above what we ask”, “Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might”. He wasn’t complaining in the prison, he was flourishing in the prison. While he was in captivity he was writing books that would encourage us 2,000 years later. If Paul were here, he would tell you, “You can prosper wherever you’re planted. You don’t have to wait ’till everything is perfect – you can flourish in the trouble, see favor in the famine, be promoted in the pandemic”.

My challenge today is do what Paul did, do what Joseph, did keep being your best where you are. I can’t promise you that you’re going to come out of every Babylon overnight, but I can promise you that God will prosper you in Babylon, he’ll show you favor on the enemy’s territory. His plans for you are for good. He sees your commitment, he sees you doing the right thing when it’s hard, he sees you being your best when you’re not getting the credit. Your time is coming. I believe and declare: you’re about to see God prosper you despite what’s trying to stop you. You’re going to see uncommon favor, favor that catapult you ahead, dreams coming to pass, negative situations turning around, new levels of your destiny, in Jesus name. And if you receive it, can you say amen today?

The Fight For Your Future | Joel Osteen


I want to talk to you today about the fight for your future. We all have things that come against us in life: people that aren’t fair, a sickness that won’t seem to go away, or a setback in our finances. Sometimes it was no fault of our own, we were born in the difficulties, parents that weren’t around, depression addictions that keep getting passed down. We wonder: “Why am I having this opposition? Why was I raised in an unhealthy environment? Why did this company let me go after all these years”? It’s because there’s something in you that the enemy’s trying to stop. Those bad breaks weren’t random, you weren’t just unlucky, those were strategic attacks. If you weren’t a threat to the enemy, he wouldn’t be trying to hold you back. If he didn’t know there was greatness in you, he wouldn’t waste his time bringing those challenges.

When you gave your life to Christ God marked you, he said: “You’re mine”, he put that crown of favor on your head. That’s all great, but the challenge is: you became a target to the enemy. He knows, you’re destined to take new ground, he knows God has favored you to leave your mark, so he’s going to work overtime trying to stop you. Many times the enemy knows who we are, even before we realize who we are.

When David was a teenager out working in the shepherd’s fields, there was nothing usual about him, he didn’t have a significant position, taking care of his father sheep. He didn’t come from wealth and influence, they were a low income family – nothing about him stood out. Why did his father leave him in the fields when the prophet came to anoint one of the sons as the next king? Was no big deal to bring him in. Why did his father disrespect him and look down on him like that? When David took lunch to his brothers, when they were in the army, why did his oldest brother make fun of him and belittle him? Why was he intimidated or why was he jealous? David wasn’t intimidating, didn’t look like he was any threat to them, but the enemy can see things in you, that you may not see in yourself. David saw himself as ordinary, but even the enemy knew he was a giant killer, he knew he was a history maker, that’s why he came against David so strongly.

Many of the difficulties you faced, things that didn’t make sense, opposition that came out of nowhere, people that turned on you, it’s because there’s a giant killer in you, there’s a history maker. You may not be able to see it yet, but even the enemy can see, there’s greatness in you. Have a new perspective, those difficulties are assigned: something amazing is in your future.

Mark chapter 5, there was a man that was possessed with evil spirits. It had gotten so bad, nobody could control him. They sent him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to a place called the Gadarenes to live among the tombs in a graveyard, this deserted area. They tried chaining him up, but he was so strong he would break the chains. All through the night and day he would wander through the tombs, wherein no clothes, screaming and cutting himself. This man didn’t look like he had a chance, deranged in his mind, society had written him off, but I can imagine some nights there were moments of sanity, where he would look up and say, “God, please help me. Why am I so tormented, God, I want to go back home”. I can see his little boy being for him, his wife weeping, so discouraged. It looked like that was his destiny.

People had given up on him but God never gives up on us. Nobody is too far gone, don’t write your child off, don’t write your neighbor off, your cousin off, may look like they’re too bad, to addicted, to depressed, too far off course. The enemy wouldn’t be fighting them that hard, if there wasn’t something amazing on the inside of them. Jesus was in Galilee on the shore teaching the people, at the end of the day, instead of going back and rest what he normally did, he told the disciples, he wanted to cross to the other side of the lake, to where the man was. In the middle of the night, while they were on the boat, a huge storm arose. The waves started crashing over the boat, filling it with water, looked like it was going to sink. Jesus was asleep in the back and they ran to impractically, “Jesus wake up, we’re about to die”. Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm, “Peace, be still”. Suddenly the winds and waves stopped, everything was perfectly calm.

The next morning when they arrived at the shore, Jesus was getting out of the boat, the deranged man came running up to him, fell at his knees and started screaming. Jesus told those demons to come out and instantly the men was healed. The scripture says, (Mark 5:15) “They saw the man sitting, fully clothed and in his right mind”. What’s interesting, when Jesus was on the boat headed toward demand, that huge storm was not random, wasn’t just an act of nature, a coincidence – that was the enemy trying to stop Jesus from getting to this man. You would think, the enemy would be satisfied, I mean the man was possessed, out of his mind, cutting himself. Surely he’s no threat, he’ll never do anything great. No, the enemy knew, despite all he had done, despite the confusion, the cutting that this man still had greatness in him, that he still had a destiny to fulfill, dreams to accomplish. So, when he saw Jesus crossing the lake, he thought “I’ve got to stop him, I’ve got to keep him from getting to that man”.

There is a fight for your future, but what I want you to see is: it’s not your battle, God is fighting for you. The enemy may send the storms, opposition that seems too big, don’t worry God controls the winds, he overrides every negative force. Those winds that are trying to keep you from your destiny, God is speaking to them right now: breakthroughs are coming, healing is coming, freedom is coming. Things that look like they would never turn around, the storm seems darker than ever, on your own you don’t have a chance: you’re not on your own, get ready, favor is coming, victory is coming, like this man you’re going to see God override what’s trying to stop you. There’s no storm too strong that he can’t calm, no giant too big that he can’t defeat, no fire too hot that he can’t step in and bring you out.

This man that was deranged, he didn’t know that Jesus had spoken to the winds, he didn’t know there was a huge storm, Jesus had gone to great lengths to get to him, he just show up on the shores. You don’t know how many storms the enemy has has sent to try to keep God from getting to you, how many times God has said, “Peace, be still, that’s my son, that’s my daughter, break the chains, they’re going to fulfill their purpose”. God has been fighting for you your whole life, pushing back the darkness, calming storms, crossing lakes just to get to you. Some of these battles started, when you were a small child. The enemy knew way back then who you were called to be, he could see the favor and anointing on your life, he could see you were destined for greatness, so he’s worked overtime trying to stop you from your destiny, things that you had no control over.



My father as a two old boy was walking by a fire and fell into it. Nobody was around, he could have been killed, out of nowhere someone came and pulled him out. He couldn’t save himself, that was God fighting for him. The enemy sent the storm, but God said, “Peace be still, I have the final say“. The enemy can’t stop your destiny, he can’t end your life. David said in Psalm 30, “God, I praise you, for you refused to let my enemies triumph over me”. Why did that fire not take my father out? God refused to let the enemy triumph. Why did that accident not harm you? God refused to let it harm you. How did you beat the cancer? Why did that unhealthy childhood not stop you? How has that addiction not finished you off? Because God’s purpose is more powerful, than the enemy’s plan. The forces of darkness cannot stop what God has ordained for you. If you only knew all the things God refused to let happen to you.



You may have had some bad breaks, things that weren’t fair, but just the fact that you’re still here is a sign: God’s favor is on your life. There may be obstacles trying to stop you now, you can’t understand why — it’s because of the greatness in you. The enemy doesn’t come against people that don’t have anything. If you weren’t a threat, he wouldn’t be bothering you. In one sense, you can take it as a compliment, “Yes, I have big obstacles, but I know, it’s because I have a big future. I’ve had some bad breaks, some disappointments, but it couldn’t finish me off, I’m still standing”. The enemy wouldn’t have wasted so much time and energy on you, if there wasn’t something amazing in you future.

Now, do your part, stay in faith, don’t go around complaining about what didn’t work out, what you didn’t get. God is still working, he’s a God of justice, he will make up for what was unfair, he will pay you back for the wrongs that were done.

Way back as a little child the enemy knew, my father would be the first one in our family to give his life to Christ, he knew he would be the one to break the cycle of poverty, that limited us for generations. He knew daddy would start Lakewood and that he would lead children and grandchildren to continue it on. No wonder he tried to take him out as a little boy, no wonder his family told him that all he knew how to do was pick cotton, that he could never become a minister, no wonder a church asked him to resign, because his message of faith and victory didn’t fit in. When you have a big future, the enemy is not going to roll out the red carpet and let you fulfill it.

Paul said in first Corinthians: a wide door of opportunity is open for me and there are many adversaries. The many adversaries is not because God has forgotten about you, it’s not because you’ve got short chains, it’s because of the wide doors that are about to open for you, it’s because of the favor that’s in your future. When you look back over your life, you can see things that came against you, some you had nothing to do with. Things that weren’t fair: you were left out, you were mischaracterized, made to look bad. Other times you tried to step up to a new level, you tried to set a new standard, but opposition came out of the woodwork, things that you’ve never faced. There are forces that don’t want you to take new ground. And then, when the enemy sees you start to make progress, he’ll send the storm, the winds, the waves. That’s when God will step up and say, “Peace, be still”. The storms cannot stop our God, and what’s come against you is not a sign that you’re stuck, it’s a sign: promotion is coming. The storm is a sign: God is close to the shore, you’re about to see things change in your favor.



When Moses was born, the Pharaoh had put out a decree, that all the male Hebrew babies were to be killed at birth. The Pharaoh was concerned that the Israelites were getting too big, and that they could overtake the Egyptians. Not only that, it was prophesied that Moses would deliver the Israelites out of slavery. It wasn’t a coincidence that Moses was born into adversity, born with forces against him. Nothing he had done, wasn’t his poor choices, but from his birth the enemy was trying to stop him. Mother hid him in the house for three months, but eventually he was too big, she thought he would be found and killed, so she put him in a small basket and sent him floating down the Nile River.

It just so happened, Pharaoh’s daughter was out at the river taking a bath. When she heard the cries coming from the basket, she opened it and couldn’t believe it: she fell in love with this little baby. What’s interesting is, she knew he was a Hebrew baby, she knew he wasn’t supposed to live, her father, the Pharaoh was the one that made the decree. But for some reason she and her father decided: it was okay for her to keep the baby and raise it as her own.

When God is fighting your battles, things will happen that don’t make sense. When he says, “Peace, be still”, storms that seem impossible will suddenly calm down. Now, maybe you were raised in an environment that wasn’t real healthy, you have plenty of reasons to be sour and think you can’t do anything great, you been through too much. How do you know you’re not a Moses? How do you know those adversities weren’t a sign, that greatness was in you, that the enemy was trying to push you down and keep you from leaving your mark, but God stepped in and said, “Peace, be still”? God didn’t bring you out because you’re ordinary. Now, you need to step into your greatness, quit believe in those lies that you’ve had too many bad breaks, too much institute, it’s not fair. It doesn’t have to be fair for God to do something awesome in your life. In fact when it’s not fair, when you’re the underdog, when the enemy is trying to stop you, that’s when God will step in and show out the most.



Wasn’t fair for David’s own family to belittle him, but that didn’t keep him from taking the throne. Wasn’t fair for Joseph to be thrown into a pit, lied about, put in prison, but that didn’t keep him from becoming the prime minister. Wasn’t fair for Moses to be born under a death threat, his family having to hide him – that didn’t stop him from delivering the Israelites. Who says it has to be fair for you to fulfill your destiny? No bad break has canceled God’s plan for your life, no injustice, no disappointment, no person. The reason it’s not fair, is there something in you, that the enemy doesn’t want out. There’s an assignment God has for you, that he’s trying to stop. There’s an anointing and empowerment of favor that the enemy doesn’t want you to see. The good news: he doesn’t have the final say. Now, get ready to step in to your greatness.

My sister Lisa was born with something like cerebral palsy, the doctors told my parents that she would probably never be able to walk or feed herself. The first year she couldn’t lift her head, she had no sucking reflexes, but by the grace of God over time she defied the Gods and kept getting better and better. Well, growing up there were five of us kids in the house and all of us except Lisa, we’re very athletic, played sports, stayed active, but Lisa coming through that birth injury, couldn’t do everything we did. When we were choosing to play kickball with our friends in the neighborhood, Lisa would always get chosen toward the very end, right before my brother Paul. But it seemed like for Lisa it was one bad break after another, in her early 20s she went through a breakup in a relationship, it’s very hurtful and very unfair.

Not long after that she was working with us at the church, opening my father’s mail. One day she opened a package and and it exploded in her lap, it was a mail bomb, blew up part of her leg and injured her stomach, she was rushed to the hospital, had to have surgery. The investigators told us, if the package hadn’t had been turned long ways in her lap, instead of sideways, she would have instantly been killed. It was a pipe bomb when it exploded, the nails blew out the side away from her, instead of into her. But why did Lisa have all these things come against her, since she was a baby? The enemy knew there was something special in her: and anointing to teach, a gifting to lead, a favor to help build people. Every time the enemy sent the storm, God stepped up and said, “Peace, be still”. When the bomb exploded, God said “Bomb, you can’t finish her off, you don’t have the final say”. God refused to let her enemies triumph. Lisa says, “I opened the bomb, but now I am the bomb”.

What’s come against you hasn’t been random, those were strategic attacks for one reason: because of what’s in you — purpose, destiny, greatness. If you will stay in faith and keep moving forward, not be bitter over what didn’t work out, then at some point you’re going to step in to what the enemy didn’t want you to see: new levels of favor, opportunities like you’ve never dreamed. God has taken you where you can’t go on your own.

A friend of mine was raised in a large family in Puerto Rico, had 17 brothers and sisters. His parents were heavily involved in witchcraft. When he was three years old, his mother was in a trance, she declared over him that he was the son of satan. He was so young, he didn’t know any better, but imagine heavens people speaking things like that over your life. Didn’t seem fair, look like he was at a disadvantage, but people don’t have the final say. What you can’t see, is behind the scenes the Most High God is fighting for you, he overrides negative things people have spoken.



15 years old he moved to New York city with one of his brothers. Six months later he was the leader of one of the most violent and feared street gangs, fighting and stealing were a part of his everyday life. A year later his best friend was stabbed and died in his arms. Like the deranged man that was cutting himself, didn’t look like this young man had any future, he wouldn’t have never amount to much, he was too far off course. But what he couldn’t see was God was crossing the lake to get to him, God was on the way to turn things around. And when forces come against you that strongly, you can be assured, there’s a great purpose on your life, there’s great potential on the inside.

One night a minister came up to him on the streets and invited him to a meeting to a service that he was in. The young man made fun of him and threatened to beat him up. But when you plant a seed, you never know when it’s going to take root. The next night the young man and all of his gang showed up at the service, they were planning to disrupt things and to cause trouble, but when begin to hear about the love and forgiveness of our God, he felt something on the inside that he had never felt. At the end of the service, against all odds, he stood up and gave his life to Christ. Instantly chains were broken off of his mind, he felt a new sense of freedom, a new sense of destiny. He knew, he was no longer the son of satan, he was the son of the Most High God.

When you can’t fight for yourself, you have to know: God is fighting for you. He’s bigger than any force that’s trying to hold you back, he’s bigger than the negative words people have spoken over you. He’s bigger than the addiction, bigger than how you were raised, bigger than that sickness. You wouldn’t have those difficulties, if there wasn’t greatness in you. Today our friend Nicky Cruz is an amazing minister and he goes around the world telling people what God has done. But my point is: Nicky couldn’t change that on his own, being born in that environment didn’t seem fair, the deranged man, he couldn’t get free by himself, even people couldn’t help him, that’s why they sent him away. But the good news is, you have someone fighting for you. Behind the scenes God’s pushing back forces of darkness, he’s making things happen that you couldn’t make happen.

The scripture says (Exodus 14:13) “Stand still and you will see the deliverance of the Lord”. You keep doing the right thing and God will take care of what’s stopping you, he’ll turn the opposition around, he’ll move wrong people out of the way, he’ll give you the breaks to get you to where you’re supposed to be.

When I first started ministering, back in 1999, it seemed like everyone was for me, people were so supported, so encouraging, many of you. But after a couple of years I started having some opposition, people that didn’t understand me. I used to think: why are they against me? I’m just trying to keep the church going, talking about the goodness of God, I’m not bothering anyone else. I realize now, the enemy doesn’t fight you for where you are, he fights you for where you’re going. I thought, I would always be at that same level, I was satisfied to maintain where we were, but God had something bigger in me, things that I couldn’t see. The enemy wasn’t fighting me for where I was, he was fighting me for the Compaq Center, he was fighting me for my books, for the nights of hope, for Sirius XM.

You may be doing the right thing and you have opposition, you don’t understand it. It’s because there’s something in your future, much bigger than you think. You can’t see it right now, but even the enemy knows it’s coming, he knows you’re a giant killer, a history maker, that you’re going to affect generations to come. Now, quit being discouraged about what’s against you. If you weren’t a threat, the enemy would leave you alone. What you’re up against maybe bigger, stronger, you can’t change it on your own: don’t worry, in this fight for your future it’s not just up to you, God is fighting for you. Right now he’s crossing the lake, saying “Peace, be still”. Now, I believe and declare: every storm you’re facing is beginning to dissipate, chains that have held you back are being broken right now, the greatness in you is about to come out. New levels of favor, influence, anointing, healing, breakthroughs, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus name.

Invite God In To Your Difficulties

 want to talk to you today about “Inviting God in to Your Difficulties”. Most of the time we’re praying, “God get me out of this challenge, get me out of this trouble at work, get me out of this financial setback”. There’s nothing wrong with that, but before you get out, you have to invite God in. Sometimes the miracle is not in getting out, it’s in what God is going to do in the situation. Instead of just praying, “God get me out”, why don’t you start praying, “God come in to this hospital room, while I’ll take the treatment. Come in to this trouble at work, where the people aren’t fair. Come in to this anxiety that I’m dealing with”? What’s more powerful than God bringing you out, is when God comes in and begins to change things. He comes in and gives you a favor despite who’s trying to push you down, he comes in and gives you strength that you can’t explain, grace to outlast what should stop you.

If you’re only focused on God bringing you out, then you’re going to be disappointed, because God doesn’t do things on our timetable. Sometimes it’s taking longer than we thought, but when you ask God to come in, you can be at rest. “God, I know you’re right here with me, you are ordering my steps and at the right time you’ll get me to where I’m supposed to be”. You don’t have to fight everything, live upset, can’t sleep at night – that happens when you’re only focused on getting out. God is waiting to come in. When you ask him in, your saying, “God don’t just change the circumstances, change me. Help me to not just go through this situation, help me to grow through it, help me to learn, increase my faith, let my character come up higher”.

If God delivered us out of everything instantly, we would never reach our highest potential. God works in the trouble, he works in the uncomfortable situations. And sometimes God is not bringing you out yet, because he wants the odds to be against you in a bigger way, so when he brings you out it will be a greater miracle. Now, voices will whisper, “God doesn’t even hear your prayers, that’s why nothing’s changing”. The truth is: God is setting you up to show out in your life. When he brings you out, no one will be able to deny that his favor is on you.

God said in Isaiah 43:2, “When you go through the waters, I will be with you, when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you, when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned”. It’s interesting that God didn’t say, “I’ll keep you out of every fire, you won’t have to face any floods”. No, he said, “The challenges will come”. There will be adversities and things we don’t understand, but the whole key to this verse is when he said, “I will be with you in the fire, in the flood, in the famine”. Are you trying to get out of something, that God is going to take you through? Are you fighting the process? “It’s not fair, God, I can’t take it anymore”. Everything will change, if you’ll start inviting God into the fire. He’s already promised he’ll be with you, maybe he’s just waiting for your invitation.

The right attitude is, “God, I know you’re going to bring me out, but in the meantime I’m asking you to come in to this challenge in my healts, come in to this loss I’m going through, come into this depression that’s trying to stop me”. When you invite God into your difficulty, you’ll feel him breathing in your direction, empowering you, enabling you, favoring you. Is it a greater testimony that kept you out of the fire or that he came with you in the fire and brought you through it?

David said (Psalm 23:4), “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”. Why? “Because you are with me”. When you know God is with you, when you’ve invited him into your situation, you’ll have a smile in the middle of the difficulty, you’ll have a song of praise in the prison, like Paul and Silas. You won’t be complaining about the trouble, worried about when it’s gonna work out, you’ll be at peace in the midst of the storm. And the reason David didn’t live afraid, even though he went through valleys and all kinds of adversities is: he understood this principle to invite God into the trouble. He wasn’t just waiting to get out, he knew that God was right there with him. If you’re only praying, “God get me out”, you’ll be discouraged until it changes.

“Joel, I can’t enjoy my life. I have this child that’s off course, I’m dealing with an illness, my finances are low. When it turns around, then I’ll have a good attitude”. You’re waiting for God to bring you out, while God is waiting for you to invite him in. You have to do like David, “Father, thank you that you are with me right here in this valley, and I’m not gonna live afraid, worried, I may not see a way, but I know you have a way”. Instead of just trying to get out of the valley, out of the trouble, out of the fire, if you’ll start saying, “God come in, let me feel your presence in the fire, show me your greatness in this trouble”, then you’ll have a peace that passes understanding, a joy when you could be discouraged, a hope when you should be distraught.

In the scripture three Hebrew teenagers wouldn’t bow down to the king’s golden idol. The king was so furious, he threatened to have them thrown into a fiery furnace. The teenager said, “King we’re not worried, we know our God will deliver us”. This made the king even more angry. He had the guards turn up the furnace seven times hotter than normal. Why did God have the king make the fire even hotter? He wanted it to be a bigger miracle, he wanted the odds to be more against them. The fact is: God could have kept them out of the fire, he’s God, he parted Red Seas, he opened blind eyes, would have been no problem for God to change the kings mind or to help these teenagers escape. But God doesn’t deliver us from every fire. Sometimes he’ll take you through the fire. The good news is: God knows how to make you fireproof.

People don’t determine your destiny, bad breaks cannot stop God’s plan for your life. Sickness, addictions, unfair situations don’t have the final say. Now, don’t be discouraged because God didn’t keep you out of the fire. God doesn’t stop every negative situation, he uses adversities to move us into our purpose. We would never know his power if we were never thrown into a fire so to speak, you wouldn’t know he was a healer if you never had an illness, we wouldn’t know he could move mountains if we never faced big obstacles. Now, quit complaining about what you’re up against, it’s not a surprise to God. The enemy may have turned up the fire seven times hotter than normal, they didn’t do that without God’s permission. God is in control not just of your life, he’s in control of your enemies.

Instead of complaining about the fire, start inviting him into the fire. When he’s with you, you cannot be defeated. You and God are a majority. He is a supernatural God, he’s not limited by the fire, by the floods, by the famines. What should take you out, cannot stop your destiny. Instead of complaining about everything that you don’t like, if you’ll recognize that God allowed the difficulty, I’m not saying that he sent it, but he allowed it because he had a purpose. And the purpose is not so you can live miserable, worried and afraid – his purpose is to show his glory through you, it’s so other people can see his power and favor on your life. Without great tests you won’t have a great testimony, without big battles we won’t see big victories.

These teenagers said, “We know, our God will deliver us”. They made this statement of faith. Then they said something even more powerful, “But even if he doesn’t, we’re still not going to bow down”. That’s the kind of people that give the enemy a nervous breakdown. When you can say, “God this is what I’m believing for, this is what I’m hoping will happen, but God, even if it doesn’t work out my way, I’m still going to give you praise, I’m still going to be good to others, I’m still going to show up Sunday and usher, I’m still gonna pursue my dreams”. That attitude gets God’s attention, you’re saying, “God, not my will, but let your will be done”.

But too often we’re putting conditions on God and conditions on our prayer, “God, I’ll be happy if my boss moves to the backside of mars. When you get him out of my life, then I’ll have a good attitude”. Have you ever thought, “God may be using that person to do a work in you, to grow you up, to develop your character, to teach you to love those that are not very lovable”. Instead of playing, “God get me out of this situation”, I’m asking you to start praying, “God, come into this situation, help me to have a good attitude, help me to do the right thing, when the wrong thing is happening”. It’s very powerful when you can say, “God, if my boss never moves, if he’s here until I go to heaven, I know you have given me the strength to overcome, the power to be happy in the middle of this difficulty. And I’m not going to let this person, this sickness, this injustice still my joy”. Now you’ll grow it, now you’re coming up higher, because sometimes God is waiting for us to pass the test, before he brings us out.

The king had the guards tie up the teenager’s hands and feet with cords, they threw them into the furnace. It was so hot, that the guards were instantly killed. It looked like this was the end for the teenagers, but people don’t have the final say. If it’s not your time to go, you’re not going to go, nothing can snatch you out of God’s hands. In a little while the king came to check on them, he looked through the furnace window and was puzzled. He said (Daniel 3:24-25), “Didn’t we throw three men in bound, I see four men loosed and one looks like the Son of God”. God may not keep you out of every fire, but don’t worry, he’ll come into the fire with you, he’ll help you overcome what looks impossible.

That illness should be the end, the medical report said you were done, but like with my mother, God came in the fire with you and here you are still going strong. That loved one you lost or that person that walked away, broke your heart, that should have soured your life, but look at you now: still moving forward, doing great things, fulfilling your purpose. How could that be? God came in the fire with you.

The Psalmist said (Psalm 46:1), “God is a very present help in times of trouble”. We know that God is always with us, but when you’re in difficulties and you invite him in, you’re going to feel his presence in a greater way, you’re going to be more aware that you’re not alone. When you get thrown into the fire so to speak, you won’t be bitter, you’ll stay in faith knowing, that the fourth man is right there with you, the God who controls the fire, the God who he who restores, who pays you back for the injustice is right there, watching over you, protecting you, ordering your steps.

Moses went through a difficult situation. He didn’t know how it was going to work out, I’m sure he was tempted to worry and think about how big his enemies were, but God said to him in Exodus 33:14, “Moses, I will go with you, I will give you rest, everything will be fine for you”. Maybe you’re facing some challenges, life hasn’t turned out the way you thought. You asked God to keep you out of the fire, but it didn’t happen your way. Now, you’re wondering how you’re going to beat the illness, how your family’s going to be restored? God is saying to you what he said to Moses: I’m going with you, you’re not in that fire by yourself, I have the in the palm of my hand, I’m fighting your battles. That obstacle may be too much for you, but it is not too much for our God. Right now he is pushing back forces of darkness, he’s keeping the fire from burning you, he’s not letting those waters drown you. He’s your protector, your deliverer, your way-maker, your healer, your provider. You don’t have to do this on your own. You don’t have to figure everything out. You’re not going to know all the details, you have to walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that he’s right there with you, that he’s promised “Everything is going to be all right for you”.

When the king had the teenager’s hands and feet tied up, they could have panicked, been stressed out, but they understood this principle that God doesn’t keep us out of every fire, but he comes into the fire with us. They didn’t fall apart, they stayed in peace. But I can imagine, how different this outcome could have been, if they would have complained, been bitter, discouraged – maybe we wouldn’t be talking about them, maybe the fourth man would have never shown up. How we approach our difficulties, makes all the difference. Whether we’re going to come through them, not burn, without the smell of smoke, like the teenagers or whether we’re going to get stuck in them and miss God’s best. You may be in the fire now, but this is not the time to complain, it’s not the time to just pray, “God, get me out”. More than ever you need to start saying, “Father, thank you that you are in this fire with me. Thank you that no weapon formed against me is going to prosper. God, I am not going to worry, I trust you, I believe what you promise, that everything will be fine for me”.

Here’s how amazing God is. The king said, “Didn’t we throw three men in bound? I see four men loosed”. When the teenagers came out, the only thing the fire burned were the cords that were holding them back. Their hair was fine, skin was fine, clothes were fine, just the cords. When you come out of that difficulty, the only things that are going to be gone are the limitations, that are holding you back. The fire is going to burn off the fear, burn off negative mindsets, burn off relationship that were pulling you down, you’re going to come out free, bold, confident, healthy, promoted, victorious, ready to fulfill your destiny.

I know this man, he is an executive at a large company. There were several people in management above him, that didn’t like him. He’s very talented and they were intimidated by him. They kept doing their best to keep him down. He was concerned and trying to figure out what he should do and how it was all going to work out. For several months he would come down for prayer and tell me how it wasn’t getting any better and wondering when God was going to change it. It was putting a strain on his marriage, physically he was starting to get rundown. I told him what I’m telling you, “You’re just praying: ‘God get me out’. You need to start praying: ‘God, come into this difficulty. God, give me the grace to bloom where I’m planted, to have a good attitude even though it’s not fair. God, show me your favor, despite who’s trying to push me down'”.

He changed his attitude and quit worrying about when it was going to improve, knowing that God was right there with him in the fire, fighting his battles. I saw him a couple years later, he looked as peaceful as can be, had a big smile, great attitude. I thought everything had turned around. He said, “No, Joel, the same people are still there, doing the same things. They haven’t changed, but I’ve changed. I don’t let them upset me anymore, I don’t live stressed out, I enjoy my life, despite how they’re treating me. I’m doing the right thing, even though they never give me credit”. That’s passing the test, that’s showing God you’re not just going to be happy if he brings you out, but you’re going to shine, even if it doesn’t happen your way. You’re going to be your best, even if it’s not changing on your timetable. That’s inviting God into the fire. Not just, “God, get me out”, but, “God, give me the strength to be here with a good attitude”.

He was in the lobby about three months ago. This was three years after he first came down for prayer, he told how the company had just been sold. The owners got rid of all the management team, except for him. He was the only executive they kept. He said, “Joel, now I’m in charge, I’m running the whole company”. God knows how to vindicate you, he knows how to bring you out of the difficulty. The question is: are you inviting him into the difficulty? When you’re in the fire, you can complain, be discouraged, “God, it’s not fair”. Try a different approach, “God, come into this fire with me. God, help me to do the right thing, change me where I need to change, burn off things that are holding me back”. You have to shine where you are. Have a song of praise, when you could be complaining. Keep a smile on your face, when you should be discouraged. I know it’s not easy, but keep reminding yourself, the Creator of the universe, the Most High God is right there with you. He sees what you’re up against, he knows what’s not fair, the hurts, the disappointments, the lonely nights. When you dig your heels in and do the right thing, you will feel a supernatural strength, a power to do what you could not do on your own.

This is what happened with Joseph. In the scripture, as a teenager he was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. He worked for a high-ranking military official in Egypt, named Potiphar. Joseph in one sense had every right to be bitter, angry, his dreams were shattered, he was in a foreign country, he didn’t know anyone. But you never read where Joseph complained, he just kept being his best where he was. He was so exceptional, that Potiphar put him in charge of his whole house. Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph, he was successful in everything that he did”. Joseph did what I’m asking us to do: he didn’t just pray God get me out of this trouble and I’ll have a good attitude. He said, “God, come into this trouble. Help me to shine, help me to stand out”.

The next verse says, “Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph”. Can people see that God is with you in the fire? Are you being your best, even though it’s unfair? Are you shining, when you could be complaining? Later Joseph was falsely accused and put in prison for something, that he didn’t do. Verse 21 says, “But the Lord was with Joseph there too”. In the prison, in the betrayal, in the injustice. It’s significant, that the scripture tells us three times, just a few verses from each other, that the Lord was with Joseph. We got it the first time, but God wanted us to see this principle, that when you invite him into the fire, you’re going to have a favor that pushes you up when life tries to push you down. A strength to excel, when you could be slacking off. A power to overcome, what should stop you.

After 13 years of being in the fire, God brought Joseph out, made him second-in-command of Egypt. You may be in a situation now, that you don’t think is ever going to change, but what God started in your life, he’s going to finish. Now it may not happen on your timetable, instead of just praying, “God, get me out”, being frustrated because it’s taken longer than you thought, why don’t you start inviting God in, “Father, thank you that you are with me in this battle with cancer, you are with me in this struggle with the addiction, you are with me in this divorce, in this breakup”. When you invite God in, you will feel his presence in a new.

Way Mark chapter 4 Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake”. They all got in the boat, but as they were sailing, a huge storm arose. The waves were crashing over the boat, the winds so strong. The disciples started to panic, thinking they were about to die. Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat. They ran as fast as they could, “Jesus, wake up, don’t you care that we’re about to die”? Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm. Suddenly everything calmed down. Now, these disciples had seen Jesus perform great miracles, heal the lepers, raise a little boy from the dead. When Jesus said, “We’re going to the other side”, you would think they would be confident, nothing for us to worry about, the Son of God is in our boat, he just said we’re going across. But even though Jesus was with, them they still panicked. They didn’t realize: the winds and waves couldn’t stop the God who created the winds and waves. The creation couldn’t stop the Creator. They had no reason to be afraid, the Son of God was in the storm with them.

I wonder if you’re doing like them, worried about something even though God is on your boat. He’s already promised you, that he would restore health back into you, that you would lend and not borrow, that as for you in your house you would serve the Lord. Now, the circumstances may look the opposite, the medical reports not good, your loved ones off course. It’s easy to live worried, upset, but can I encourage you? The Most High God is on your boat. Those winds cannot stop you, the sickness, the injustice, the people they cannot keep you from your destiny. You might as well relax, everything is going to be fine for you. Sure the waves may be big, but you have an advantage, the God who controls the universe is right there with you. Now, do your part, start thanking him that he’s fighting your battles, start shining where you are, being your best in spite of the difficulties. Don’t wait till it changes, you have to invite him in, before he brings you out. If you’ll do this, I believe and declare, like these teenagers, that fire is not going to burn you. You’re about to see the fourth man show up, unusual things are about to happen, unusual favor, unusual healings, unusual breakthroughs, unusual promotion, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus name.