"More Desert Musing"-By John Griffin
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Printed Date: 01/17/2017 at 1:31pm
Topic: "More Desert Musing"-By John Griffin
Posted By: Mary Lindow
Subject: "More Desert Musing"-By John Griffin
Date Posted: 12/17/2008 at 1:39am
"More Desert Musing"
By John Griffin
http://godjourney-john.blogspot.com/
I am convinced that more people than we could possibly be aware of are
spending time in the desert at this point in their lives. After spending the
last twenty years in attempts to bring about God's purposes in their own
strength, they have been sent to the desert to spend some "alone time"
with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is not that they have done
anything wrong...most of the time, they have attempted to do God's work,
but the problem has come in the manner that they have done God's work.
Just as Moses attempted to become the deliverer of the Jews in his own
strength, so have we attempted to do the work of God in our own
strength. Our efforts have landed us squarely in a place where we no
longer can attempt those things in that manner and we have found
ourselves now wandering in the desert, sometimes thinking "what
happened?"
Most of us don't have a clue to the plan of God for our lives, and I am
talking about those who spend time with Him regularly and attempt to
hear His voice. We just do the next thing that comes along. We cry out for
His presence, just as Moses would do years later when about to enter into
the Promised Land, and our prayers are often answered in a manner that
we would not expect...we are sent to spend some time in the desert.
In our world of "get it done" Christianity which is based completely upon
performance, we oftentimes get caught up in a world where we go from
one activity to another without thinking of what we are really doing. Our
activity is progress, or so we think. We push and shove and attempt to get
things done so that we can point to them and tell people, "look what I
have done." Oh, we would not put it in those terms, because we know
that all the "glory" should really belong to God, but we are about getting
things done and accomplishing goals. But, in the kingdom of God, where
the death of the vision often signals the start of the adventure, we are
sadly mistaken that there is a way that we can accomplish much in our
own strength in God's kingdom.
I can imagine Moses (now remember, this is divinely inspired
imagination...) after a few years of tending to sheep and getting settled
into his lifestyle as a shepherd, forgetting about all of those dreams that
he once had of leading Egypt and fulfilling his destiny of being "God's
man" in Egypt, delivering his people, the Israelites, and seeing changes
sweep the Egyptian court. Now, he was relegated to watching sheep in
the desert with no one else around. I suppose that he would have fleeting
thoughts about Egypt and then go back to the reality of the desert.
It was not until he had his supernatural encounter with the burning bush
that there is a record of God speaking to him during this time. Maybe he
went for forty years without hearing from God. We don't know. But we
know that when he encountered the supernatural God in the burning
bush that it forever changed him, and led him back to Egypt to fulfill his
destiny as the deliverer of God's people. But, up until that point, there is
no record of Moses having a conversation with God.
How about you? Are you in a place where you are unable (or sometimes
unwilling) to serve in the capacity that you once did? Do you find yourself
wandering a bit, not really having anything to do that can be construed as
accomplishing something for God? Have you left what were the familiar
surroundings of your past to find yourself in a strange, but warm place
where you are alone? If so, then you may be having a desert experience.
The desert is the place where God can tear out all the religious mumbo
jumbo that we get caught in our souls and replace it with something that
is real. The desert is the place where you find who your true friends are
because they don't care that you don't perform like you once did. The
desert is the place where, sometimes for the first time in years, you are
alone with your thoughts, able to sort them out and find out what you
really think about things in an objective manner, rather than get caught
up in the headlng rush of the herd you were a part of. The desert is the
place where your dreams and visions can die so that God can move in a
supernatural manner to bring them to pass - this time without your
extreme effort that will only lead to self glorification.
The desert is a quiet place. You can hear the smallest of sounds for miles.
But, in the quietude of the desert, you will find a peace and contentment
that often eluded you while you were attempting to deliver your calling in
your own strength. It is the desert that Moses was prepared for the
deliverance of Israel from Egypt. It was the desert that God used to
prepare Paul to be an apostle to the church. It was the desert, at least the
solitude of tending sheep, that God used to prepare David to be a man
after His own heart.
Don't be afraid to get out of the rush. Don't fear what your friends and
family will say. Just allow God to do in you what He will. Let Him have His
way in you, and trust Him to finish it. And don't be too surprised if that
road leads to the desert.
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The International Prophetic Mentoring Council
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser, Mentor a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.” Proverbs 9:9
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