Carrying Our Wilderness

“God said, ‘I’ve taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land…’” Exodus 3:7-8 The Message

I’ve started a new Bible study called Jesus & Women by Kristi McLelland. She is turning the prism of studying the Bible to a different view, the Middle Easterner's view. One of the first things I learned was that they viewed the wilderness as a holy place where God was not only personally engaged but expectantly heard. They had history with God meeting His people in the wilderness to speak to them and guide them. They actually embraced any wilderness in which they found themselves because usually it was where God responded to their troubles. One of the most beautiful stories was Moses and the burning bush in the wilderness. The Lord spoke to Moses sharing that He had actually seen the heartbreak of His people. God assured Moses that every word uttered through pain and fear was heard by His own ears. He not only saw everything that was happening, heard every groan that was lifted but He was concerned about all the circumstances that concerned His children. This complete awareness of their circumstances ushered in His response with the same things that our concerns will usher in…His presence, His power, and Him prying us from our temporary troubles and delivering us from what has us held captive.

I find it interesting that the comparison between the Middle Easterners and the Westerners is all in the perspective. When we are going through wilderness times, our focus is how long will we be here and how do we get out of this difficulty. ‘But in the Middle East, they ask the questions, ‘How do I carry the wilderness with me?’ ‘How do I remember the word the Lord taught me in the wilderness?’ p. 23. There is an expansive difference between the two attitudes. Our time in the wilderness should be one of growth and intimacy with God; after all, He has brought us into this time of dependency on Him to talk to us. The wilderness sharpens our spiritual focus…it removes the earthly distractions…and it postures our heart for comfort, guidance and spiritual awareness. May we all use this time in the wilderness to embrace what the Lord is teaching us. And one day soon we will carry the wilderness with us in our hearts…those precious spiritual reflections with the Lord... into the new and good land He has for each of us. Wouldn't it be tragic to miss out on our own burning bush moment?