The power of a wilderness season

There’s a story in Bible about someone named Moses.

He was raised as a slave owner but realized later in life that the slaves were actually his lineage. Someone snuck him into royalty at birth.

When he finds out he runs away. God tells him in no uncertain terms to go BACK and save his people and his family.

He goes back, unwelcome, and starts arguing with the king to let everyone go. The king disagrees at first, but then agrees.

Then the king changes his mind.

Then the king agrees again and changes his mind.

The story is fascinating with all sorts of of drama and miracles in it — anyone who says the Bible is boring is crazy lol.

But finally the king OFFICIALLY lets everyone go.

So Moses rounds everyone up, like 2 million people, and starts taking them out of Egypt. Then at the worst time possible — the king changes his mind (again) and sends an army after them.

Everyone’s asking Moses what to do cause they’re stuck in front of the ocean and there’s an army behind them — Moses says “don’t worry about it God’s got us.” And God says “Uh no — why are you even asking me about this — tell everyone to move.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!

Exodus 14:15

They start walking into the water and the sea splits in half and they walk through.

All the soldiers follow them in and the water crashes back down and they all drown.

Lessons:

In the story the Bible says GOD hardened the king’s heart

When I’m dealing with the same problem over and over and it gets better, then not better, then better, then not better — here’s a reminder:

At some point along the way God had enough of this king. And decided it was too easy for him to just let everybody go. There are some problems in your life that are so big God will create circumstances so that you never have to deal with them again.

Oftentimes this looks like resurfacing of an issue again, again, again, until finally you kill the issue. The root has to be removed and there are strategic times in history when God has had enough… when this happens, the issue is bound to die. It’s only a matter of time.

Don’t give up before it happens.

Secondary lesson: When people and things come against you, it does not always mean you have done something wrong.

I have learned that whenever extreme resistence shows up, God has offered that person mercy. They will either take it or they will walk into a trap. It’s less about you and it’s more about the freedom God wants to give you.

God was amused that Moses kept asking him to do something about the ocean

“Why are you asking me? MOVE!”

Stop waiting for perfect. The natural follows the supernatural and the supernatural follows your expectation. If you need to get God’s attention the only way to do that is through faith.

Faith is the intention & expectation you have that something will MOVE before you see it actually move.

After this fiasco they wander around for 40 years instead of taking the 30 day journey from one place to another.

There are reasons for this…

The two that stand out to me and maybe they apply to you:

• 1st — These people got so used to being slaves that they forgot how to live as free people.

They actually wanted to go BACK. God protected them from this — it will feel easier at times to go backwards where it’s comfortable than forwards & upwards where you’ve never been before.

If God really cares about you, he’ll throw you in a desert before he lets you do that ask me how I know.

• 2nd — There were things that needed to be removed from them. Mindsets, attitudes, beliefs, traumas, language patterns.

When you are in a difficult place, it’s easier to DELETE the things that do not deserve to be in your future.

I’ve had seasons of great prosperity and I’ve had seasons of stripping. Resets. Tops & bottoms. At the BOTTOM is where you let go of whatever is keeping you from the top.

Do not idolize the top or despise the bottom.

Both are for you.