I WILL LEAD HER INTO THE DESERT Hosea 2.14 In the transition from the old to the new creation there come usually and often dry and dark times into our life. The Spirit of prayer is lacking, and we feel we have fallen behind in the process of our sanctification. Nonetheless there is more of a hunger for God in the depths of our soul as there ever was. In such times the devil is busy to draw our attention to our old self, which is in the process of sinking into the death of Jesus. Unimportant things in our daily life, in our relationships seem non-proportionately magnified and tempt us to fall back into self-efforts. These are periods when God leads us into the desert and speaks to us tenderly. We are supposed to learn to become independent of all self-help and our own efforts but rather rely only on God and lean on Him alone, the giver, and not lean on our gifts. This is the way to full joy and lasting peace that no-one can take from us. Then the indwelling Christ becomes a reality for us; He who protects us and cares for us, body and soul. The old life of the soul seems to disappear for the only purpose that God might be all in all. The more we become united with God the less we are aware of it, like a fish in the water is unaware of the significance of the water until it is taken out of it. These dry periods are usually short in the beginning, but gradually become more and more a permanent state in us, namely the state of the death of Jesus. We are immersed into God who lives and works in us. He is the supernatural life, in which we no longer use our faculties, but they are used by God. Such a life the enemy can neither ape nor touch, for then I no longer live, but all is only in and through God. Israel had to wander in the wilderness to bring to light the innermost state of their heart. Moses too, had to learn to wait for God. Elijah had to become still before God before he was allowed to hear the voice of God; and Christ Himself had to be led into the desert by the Spirit before He could embark on His ministry of teaching and performing miracles. They all had to learn in the quiet to know God deeper and His voice in order to be able afterwards to emerge in the full power of the Holy Spirit. Are you too in the wilderness, dear reader, rest in the Lord and patiently wait for Him. (by Margarethe von Brasch)
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 10:46:30 +0000
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