DWELLING IN THE DESERT
Don Hawley
February 3, 2000
A few weeks ago I shared some thoughts under the title "Appointment in the Desert." They had to do with God taking us into a place of solitude where we can develop attributes for the closing events of earth’s history. Also, this experience will equip us to play our chosen role in those events. It might be helpful to review the previous writing. If you are doing desert time, consider these additional thoughts.
I want to talk about dwelling in this desert place. Time won’t permit us to tarry there for forty years like Moses, but then our future assignment won’t be as weighty as was his. In spite of our understanding that God deliberately has taken us to a quiet place, we’re apt to find that abiding there is difficult. At least at first.
Of course we don’t have to stay; we still have the power of choice. Moses didn’t have to remain in Midian, but he chose to do so. When God sets up a divine appointment it’s unwise to refuse to meet, or to leave early.
THE BEAUTY OF THE DESERT
Years ago I remember being appalled, even confused, when each year my father chose to travel from South Dakota to Arizona just to spend his vacation in the desert. Later I myself settled in the Southwest, and came to understand the beauty of the wilderness—for those who tarry long enough to sense it. I even found Death Valley to be a strangely beautiful place.
Consider the magnitude of change from the lavish courts of mighty Egypt to the stark quiet of the desert. At first the proud young prince of Egypt must have been highly agitated, in a hurry to get back to what was "really important." But he stuck it out. Little by little the soothing stillness of the desert won him over, and eventually he settled willingly into the humble role of a shepherd. I believe he came to love his stress-free existence, and in the end God had to forcefully pry him loose from his place of exile.
After forty years of desert dwelling, the Moses that exited bore little resemblance to the one who fled there for his life. Since God sets up desert appointments, what is it that he offers those who respond? The benefits are many; here are just a few possibilities.
Soothing silence
Lack of distraction
Opportunity to focus
Time for self evaluation
Developing humility
Release from pressure
The luxury of being a "nobody"
Heightened perception
Character development
Intimacy with God
Learning obedience
A new sense of God’s majesty
A higher anointing
A new ministry potential
Preparation for spiritual warfare
With so much to gain, can we afford to miss the appointment? Or to leave before the process is complete? Please note it was God’s timing that determined when Moses should leave his place of solitude. It was God that lit up the bush. If we leave before the process is finished, we will then labor in our own finite strength without his full anointing
Properly understood, our desert appointment is not a time of delay or stagnation, but a period of unprecedented spiritual growth. The spiritual desert isn’t a lonely place;it’s here that God will be closer to us than ever before. If you’ve not yet gone to the desert, go. If you’re there, stay. Until God says its time to depart. When you realize the planned blessing, then you’ll leave out of duty rather than desire.
Have you considered how often Moses must have looked back with longing for the"good old days" of desert dwelling? Prior to his lonely sojourn in Midian he was caught up in the hectic life of the palace in Egypt. After Midian he daily suffered perpetual grumbling and rebellion from some two million people. Ah, those wonderful days alone with Jethro’s flocks.
There will be those who try to entice you out of the wilderness prematurely. They’ll present many plausible reasons why you need to get actively involved in this or that obviously good cause. You may even begin to feel guilty that you’re not carrying your share of responsibility, but let God determine that. Like me, you’ve often taken your marching orders from other pilgrims, or set off on your own volition. In the long run such endeavors, at least in God’s sight, are not productive. We need to imitate our Lord in this regard.
Jesus replied, "I assure you, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19.
THE BURNING BUSH
Moses’ desert experience culminated when he came upon a mysterious burning bush.
One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn’t burn up. "Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." Ex. 3:1-3.
I think it may be significant that on this particular day Moses went "deep"into the wilderness. The spiritual implication seems to be that while the desert had brought Moses closer and closer to his God, on this day the relationship became particularly intimate. In the desert we have time we never could find in the busyness of life, time to know God as we’ve never known him before. Once you enjoy this wonderful option, you’ll learn to love the desert. The hurts it took to bring you there will be forgotten.
"Suddenly" the angel appeared in the burning bush. After decades of seeming inactivity, God’s hour struck. Our desert task is not to push the envelope, or guess when God is going to call us out, but merely to bask in his presence while the opportunity is ours. He hasn’t forgotten where we are.
COMING OUT OF THE DESERT
Remember that the desert experience isn’t merely a time of idleness, but one of preparation. If you’ve learned your lesson well, your self-confidence will have been shattered. Before the wilderness experience you could handle most anything in your ownstrength, or so it seemed. Now, you may feel totally inadequate even in the strength of the Lord. Good. Now God can do with you as he wishes.
While in the desert you learned to be a dove, but now God is calling together his eagles.
O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Is. 40:27-31.
It’s vital to note that those who rise high on wings like eagles will be those who have "waited" on the Lord. The wilderness experience is time well spent. In fact, without such intimacy we can never soar to the heights God has in mind.
While we must always have the heart of a dove, we must attain the spirit of an eagle. This fierce bird is a raptor, a bird of war. We are entering the final phase of world history. Christ our Commander is mounting the white steed of Revelation, and the forces of heaven are marshaling for the last great battle. Soon his troops on earth will join ranks. Joel was given a vision of that mighty army.
Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem! Sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the LORD is upon us. It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a mighty army appears! How great and powerful they are! The likes of them have not been seen before and never will be seen again.
Fire burns in front of them and follows them in every direction! Ahead of them the land lies as fair as the Garden of Eden in all its beauty. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes . . . Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops! Listen to the noise they make—like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of a fire sweeping across a field, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with fright. The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like trained soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank. They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right place. They lunge through the gaps, and no weapon can stop them . . .
The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD leads them with a shout! This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can endure it? Joel 2:1-ll.
Who can endure it? Only the righteous. The devil and his host are doomed.
ATTENTION!
Have you noticed that with powerful media permeating every corner of our society it’s exceedingly difficult to get anyone’s attention? As usual, God has a plan.
When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" Ex. 3:4.
Why the burning bush? Because God likes to do magic? God set the bush on fire because he wanted Moses’ undivided attention. It worked then and it will work again. Before he rings down the final curtain, a just God must command everyone’s attention. The final warning must be clear enough for considered decisions.
Only a few weeks ago millions of people were holding their breath in fear or anticipation. However, when the ball dropped in Times Square and nothing dramatic had taken place, everyone exhaled. Now we are in a lull, but it is the proverbial lull before the storm. "Suddenly" the angel of the Lord will appear once again, and this time he will ignite not a single bush, but the whole world.
Cherish the peace of the desert, but be ready for change.
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