Joseph and Mary went through hard times while she was with child. They had to go to the homeland of Joseph because of the census required. They were on a long journey on a path they weren’t anticipating.
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”
Matt 1:23
Walking in the wilderness lasts a long time. It dry, desolate, and lonely wandering. Getting off the trail can cause one to get lost deeper and deeper. Not on the mountain top, not in the valley, but not home either.
For Jesus, his mountain top experience was his baptism. But it was straight to the wilderness for 40 days when he was tempted by Satan. It seems like the time in the wilderness takes forever. We need to prepare for these times.
Our deepest need becomes a gift when it drives us to depend on God.
Take the account of Elijah on the mountain top. He was at the point he asked God for death. The Israelites refused God’s covenant and it seemed like the world was crashing around him. He was searching for God on the mountaintop, but he wasn’t in the crashing of the wind as the mountain was shattered, nor was he in the earthquake or the fire. But then came a gentle wind and Elijah heard a whisper. Sometimes we expect God to come to us with fanfare and trumpets blaring, but that’s not how he works. Sometimes it’s a whisper that you have to be quiet to hear it.
Sometimes we find ourselves depleted of energy and even the desire to go on. In our need, we may find the ultimate thing we need is an intimate encounter with God. It may be God’s grace that we need. But we can’t receive it until we’re truly prepared to accept it, resolution may not be immediate. Elijah was in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights.
Elijah reminds God all he’s done for Him. But, we serve the God of second chances. He still pursues us in the wilderness. He never leaves the one! When God meets us in our deepest need, and he can be just the gift that we need.
Elijah thought that he needed to see God, but it wasn’t in what the predictable place would be. It was in the whisper.
Why does God whisper? Because he’s close, he wants us to lean into him.
We hear enough shouting from Satan. He yells lies at us all the time.
God whispers truth. I’ll never leave you or forsake you!
Sometimes your deepest need can become your greatest gift when it causes you to lean into Him.
Jesus ascended so the Holy Spirit could be with us. During our hope and waiting we are never alone!
If you’re in a valley or the wilderness, I hope this blog post has helped you realize that sometimes you need to be still and listen for the whisper of God.
Join us at Milan Christian Church as we continue to celebrate the coming of the Messiah in the next few weeks. You can find us at milanchurch.org for our address. Our start time on Sunday is 10:30AM. We look forward to seeing you.
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 