A Word To Those Suffering Harsh Circumstances

 

- Pre-dawn Panorama / Grand Tetons -

 

From time to time I realize God is dragging me into the wilderness. God did the same for Jesus. As the Bible says, "The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, so that the devil could test him." 

In harsh environments God strips me of everything I trust to insulate me from difficulty and discomfort. God rips away the supports and shelters I've learned to enjoy. God pulls me out of soft forbearance and drives me into places of severe trial. He strips away the illusion of safety I find in unreliable gods and He confronts me with the truth; I'm wise to place my ultimate trust in what's ultimately trustworthy. It's a lesson God's people learned as God led their 40 year Exodus from Egypt through the Sinai wilderness: "When you can't trust anything else, you can trust God."

In the most harsh and wild circumstances, deprivation helps me remember I need God more than I need anything else. It's in the wilderness that I'm exposed to the dangers of a life built on lies. The wilderness brings me face-to-face with ultimate reality; what's changeable can change, and it probably will, but when everything else is stripped away, "Love never fails."

Matthew 7:24-25  -  Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Comments

[Becky Hunter]

Love never fails. Amen