Saturday, 30th October, 2021
Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 29: 5-6
Memory Verse: Yet the LORD says, “During the forty years that I led you through Yet the LORD says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. Deuteronomy 29:5(NIV)
Pastor Samuel Obafaiye wrote: “In natural terms, wilderness can be defined as uninhabited region or neglected area. Generally speaking, a wilderness region is not a pleasant place to be. Most wildernesses will either be a desert of region occupied by vast ice. So that the climate will be very unfriendly; the ground uncultivable; human interaction very scanty or even absent. In spiritual or symbolic terms, wilderness experience is not a pleasant state either. It can be a time of loneliness, discomfort, drought, a time of disfavour, a time when one is not as successful as others, a time of the valley, or simply put, a tough time.
Amazingly, a wilderness experience can be a blessing in disguise, as it can lead to intimacy with God – Jacob at Luz (Bethel). It can make us to develop and manifest supernatural power – Samson in his last moment. It induces personal reflection and right direction in life – the prodigal son when feeding pigs. It teaches us self-denial and sacrifice – Jesus disciples – foxes have holes (Luke 9:57-58).” Abraham, David, Job, Joseph, John the Baptist, John the beloved, Moses, Elijah and even Jesus all spent some time / years in the wilderness of life. The people of Israel, in leaving Egypt, experienced a miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea.
The triumph of finally being free from slavery was their “mountaintop experience.” Yet what followed was a journey through the desert. They were tried in an actual wilderness, and they failed the test. As a result, their wilderness experience stretched to forty years. In a “wilderness experience,” a believer may struggle simply to survive from day to day. Financial, material, physical, or emotional burdens may press on him. The flesh cries out for relief. The believer is forced to wait on the Lord, find God’s peace and joy in the midst of trouble, and through it all mature in his walk with Christ.
Having a “wilderness experience” is not necessarily a sign that a believer is sinning; rather, it is a time of God-ordained testing. It does not matter what led you into your wilderness experience, perhaps the Spirit of God (as He led Jesus in Luke 4), the betrayal of a trusted friend, a curse issued by a spiritual authority over you, satanic rage, die-hard enemy, etc. Hold firm to God, do as He commands, repent and restitute where needed, and complete restoration shall be yours.
Quote: Make sure you pass the test of your wilderness; else, 11 days journey could turn to 40 years.
Prophetic Decree: The journey of 400 years shall not turn to 430 years, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. Abba Father, I thank You.
2. I receive divine insight to end my years in the wilderness, in Jesus name.
3. Holy Spirit, please help me to pass the tests and overcome the temptation and pressures of my wilderness, in Jesus name.
4. Open my eyes of understanding O God to what you are trying to teach me in my wilderness, in Jesus name.
5. Unlike David, I refuse to journey back into the wilderness, in Jesus name.
6. Any strongman that will not let me go, die after the order of Pharaoh, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 17:11-37; Luke 18:1-14
