Strength In The Wilderness

Jesus began His ministry at the age of 30, but before He began ministering He had to go through a time of testing.

"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from

Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." (Luke 4:1)

Whenever I hear this verse it's like I erase part of it - Jesus was led - taken - by the Spirit into the wilderness. It doesn't say if it was a physical wilderness either - it could have been a wilderness experience.

Jesus was taken into the wilderness perhaps for the express purpose of being tested.

It's interesting that for some reason even Jesus could not escape the strengthening, refining process of a testing trial.

Jesus was so full of God's Word that He stayed strong to the end.

He knew why He was there.

He didn't want to blow it.

He knew full well that He could create food and comfort for Himself with just one word.

For 40 days the devil came and taunted Him.

Perhaps with doubts about who He was?

Perhaps with taunts about His effectiveness?

"No-one will believe Your words...they know You're just a carpenter's son...from Nazareth of all places..."

Sound familiar?

But Jesus knew full well who He really was.

He knew that His earthly family's background didn't matter.

It made no difference that He came from the wrong end of town.

What mattered was WHO had sent Him - WHO had called Him - Jesus' focus was on His heavenly Father and the calling that had been placed on His life.

This is what I want you to get a revelation of - the testing Jesus went through was PART OF His ministry...not APART FROM His ministry.

If we are going to be used by God, testing times will come.

It's when heat and pressure are applied that the impurities are drawn out of gold.

It's in the heat and cold water that steel is moulded and then hardened.

Trials will come.

Tests are inevitable.

But the will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.

Where is your focus?

On the problem...or on the Father?

Thanks for calling in,

XRebecca

I was just thinking about what I wrote on my last post, and I sincerely hope I didn't come across as flippant or uncaring about the experiences you have gone through.

I'm always concerned that in the effort to encourage and build others up, ill-thought out words and nonchalance can cut deeply when somebody is enduring difficult circumstances.
It's so easy to revert to the old cliches that are still (appalingly enough) thrown around like,"It's all for a reason" or "Just dig in deeper to God". As well meaning as those comments are, they fail to cut the mustard.
People in crisis don't want to hear that they aren't doing enough, they want to know that someone cares for them, and wants to walk with them through this terrible time.
After all, love is a verb.

In my own life, I have had my share of pain.

I've never lost a child to cancer, or had my home destroyed by bush fire...but there have been times in my life where I felt that I just could not go on anymore.
Even as I write this I am crying because I remember it so vividly.

I have recently come off a course of medication I'd been taking to treat depression (my fourth episode - I've had it every 6 years for some reason!?) and I wanted to share something I wrote during the midst of this difficult time.

Don't  let me drown in the ocean of lethargy
I'm trying so hard not to sink.
But waving my arm to attract your attention
Is so much harder than you think.

It seems easier just to lay still
To not have any dreams at all
'Cause the higher you climb to achieve them
The further there is to fall.

There's so much that my heart longs to reach for
And much more I want to achieve
But how can I walk toward my goals
When I struggle each day just to breathe?

I know how it feels to want to give up, in fact during the darkest times I developed this habit of just stopping breathing. I would just...stop breathing for a while until I had to take a breath.
It seems so silly now but that's where my head was - I would cover my face and just stop breathing.

The point in me saying all this is that I want you to know that I've been there.
I still am in some ways, there are some issues I need to work through, and God in His wonderful grace is helping me deal with stuff bit by bit.

I don't know your situation - I don't know where you've come from or what you've been through - but I want you to have a think about this question. Here it is.

If you had the choice to turn back time, would you?

If you could go back and change the things that were done to you or by you...would you do it?
I know your immediate response would be "Yes of course I would you brainless twit!" - but I really want you to think about it.

How would your life be different now, if things were different then?
If you had the choice to turn back time, would you?

For me (and it took me a long time to verbalise this) I would say "No".

I will share specifics about my situation another time, but I know beyond any shadow of a doubt, that I would not be where I am now if my life had been untouched by pain.

My pain drove me to God.
It was through relying on Him to get me through each day as a young adult that I discovered God's living Word, the Bible, and through the scriptures God administered life-giving words of hope, peace, acceptance and freedom.
Through the years God has proved Himself faithful over and over again.

Genesis 50:20 rings true with me:

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..."

Satan intends to wreak havoc on you and me, our marriages and our kids.

He is only out to steal, kill and destroy using whatever he can get his hands on. 

But when God is invited into that situation, things happen.

Good things.

God turns that situation around to bless you and all those involved, and ultimately draw you into a beautiful relationship with Himself.



Some things to think about perhaps?

A bientot,
X Rebecca

Stand Up and Receive Your Diploma!

Today I want to share something that the Lord showed me a little while ago.

It was about four in the morning, and I crawled back into bed after tending to DD3 who wanted me for some reason - I can't remember what it was.
Anyway, I was lying there half-asleep thinking about some health or medical issue that was bothering me (once my brain wakes up that's it), and smiled when I heard what God had spoken to me.

He showed me that every trial, every hardship experienced - no matter how big or small - is a reason to celebrate.
Why?
Because we are then qualified to help somebody else going through a similar situation.
Our experience gives us the qualification to help others.

Think about it.
When you know someone who is going through a tough time, what do you say?
You can't say "I understand" if you yourself have never endured the same hardship.
At best we can listen, be there, and offer some sort of practical help.

However, when you have experienced difficulties, you do know what it's like - you do understand a little of how they're feeling because you've been there yourself.
I praise God that because of the hard things I've gone through, I am able to reach out to others with understanding.
I can comfort those who are being treated for depression.
I can relate to others who have come from a broken home.
I can encourage somebody struggling with identity issues.

One of the things I love most about God is that nothing is ever in vain.
He redeems the pain you've felt, the loneliness you've experienced, the hurt you've received by then turning it around and allowing you the honour of helping someone else.

So, if you are going through a tough time, take heart!
God is there to comfort you through it, and then if you are willing, He will bring someone along who you can nurture and make their life a little brighter.

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." (2 Corinthians 1:3,4  NLT)

A bientot mes amis,
X Rebecca