But still, it got me thinking about what it would be like to cross the desert on camel or donkey or, my goodness, on foot. An intense experience not for the faint of heart. Oh yeah, not for the feeble ones. It seems that all those who are called for great things in life (Abraham, Moses, the Israel nation and, also, Paul, Peter, Jesus Himself and even you and me as Jesus reminds us in John 14:12) had to spend time in – or cross through – the desert. Both literally and figuratively.

King David too spent time in Ein Gedi. He hid in the caves from Saul. I know now what David meant when he sang in Psalm 42:1 “as the dear pants for flowing streams of water, so my soul longs after You, oh God.”

I get it. I saw the Ibex drink from the mountain springs above the waterfall in the Ein Gedi wilderness. I felt David’s thirst for the Lord. I understand.

You know, even Jesus spent time in the desert. He launched His divine ministry with a 40-day fast somewhere in the wilderness east of Jerusalem. Around Jericho? Or in Ein Gedi. Somewhere in that area.

It gets hot during the day. And cold at night. It is rough. The wilderness is painful. Yet, the desert is also a cathartic place and process that draws us nearer to our heavenly Abba. It seems that experiencing the wasteland is God’s way of molding His chosen ones for greater things in life. I know a thing or two about arid wastelands, dark valleys, and the desolate desert. I know that it is not easy. But I also know that the tears shed during the wilderness bring healing. I moreover know that the desert precedes the place of “shalom,” the place of peace, abundance, completeness, wholeness, healing, and prosperity. I know it by faith from what King David was forced – and Lord Jesus chose – to endure. I also know it experientially from what I personally suffered during the crossing of my own wildland a few years ago. I now know beyond a shadow of doubt that there is a place of “shalom” for us both here on earth in this life and also beyond.

In Psalm 66:10-12, The Lord reminds us that He will see us through the wilderness. He will see us to the other side of the desert. He won’t see us OUT of it but He will see us THROUGH it. We have to go through the process. But, there is an end. There is a place of “shalom” for you. For me. For both of us. Crossing the wildland is necessary. It is an integral part of the healing, purifying, and humbling process. Though challenging, we are not alone during our journey through the arid and dry places.

A couple of days before the Ein Gedi desert experience, I visited a vibrant beach in Haifa. As I was walking and watching the sun set on the sea side of the Mediterranean, I had a divine revelation. I passed a little Jewish boy, about 15 months old, who was wading through the sea along the beach. His abba, his father, was protectively hovering over his young son. The dad was holding up his baby’s two hands for support. With most of the weight lifted up by the father, the butt-naked baby was awkwardly, but joyfully, laboring step by step through the water. As I passed them, the baby turned his head, gazed at me, and smiled. A smile of happiness and innocence reflecting a heart free of any and all worries.

The Lord spoke to me me through this Jewish baby’s pure heart. The baby’s smile and sparkling eyes said it all. “No worries. Abba got you. He covers you. He hovers over you. He protects and sustains you. No worries. No fear. You are not alone. Abba holds you. He sustains you. Your Heavenly Father walks with you.” The Haifa message punctuated what my heavenly Abba has been revealing to me throughout the last 12 months. I would say that I finally started to see my own Jordan River last summer. And I crossed into my Promise Land, the place of shalom, sometime at the beginning of this year. Maybe 1/1/2014. Around that time. A few days before. A few days after. This is my faith testimony! A story of God’s faithfulness during my wandering through the wildland.

Please take a moment to read this once you finish this blog entry. My Ein Gedi desert experience will make even more sense.

Praise God for the victory of truth! God turned and turns ashes into beauty! Thank The Lord for His shalom!

What a journey. Hallelujah! Praise The Lord! Amen!

Blessings and Love, Andrei

Photos

Above: HAIFA – vibrant Mediterranean Sea beach.

Left: EIN GEDI – waterfall from mountain spring in the desert.

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3–4)

From the time of Abraham, people have been learning that when they obey God’s voice and surrender to Him whatever they hold most precious, He multiplies it thousands of times. Abraham gave up his one and only son at the Lord’s command, and in doing so, all his desires and dreams for Isaac’s life, as well as his own hope for a notable heritage, disappeared. Yet God restored Isaac to his father, and Abraham’s family became “as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (v. 17). And through his descendants,”when the time had fully come, God sent his Son” (Gal 4:4).

This is exactly how God deals with every child of His when we truly sacrifice. We surrender everything we own and accept poverty—then He sends wealth. We leave a growing area of ministry at His command—then He provides one better than we had ever dreamed. We surrender all our cherished hopes and die to self — then He sends overflowing joy and His “life . . . that [we] might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 quoted from KJV).

The greatest gift of all was Jesus Christ Himself, and we can never fully comprehend the enormity of His sacrifice. Abraham, as the earthly father of the family of Christ, had to begin by surrendering himself and his only son, just as our heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son, Jesus. We could never have come to enjoy the privileges and joys as members of God’s family through any other way.

We sometimes seem to forget that what God takes from us, He takes with fire, and that the only road to a life of resurrection and ascension power leads us first to Gethsemane, the cross, and the tomb.

Dear soul, do you believe that Abraham’s experience was unique and isolated? It is only an example and a pattern of how God deals with those who are prepared to obey Him whatever the cost.”After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised” (Heb 6:15), and so will you. The moment of your greatest sacrifice will also be the precise moment of your greatest and most miraculous blessing. God’s river, which never runs dry, will overflow its banks, bringing you a flood of wealth and grace.

Indeed, there is nothing God will not do for those who will dare to step out in faith onto what appears to be only a mist. As they take their first step, they will find a rock beneath their feet. F. B. Meyer

Sent from the Streams in the Desert Devotional. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Wisdom by Bernie James

When Solomon met God face-to-face in a dream shortly after becoming king, he had the opportunity to have any wish granted. His wish was for “an understanding mind”–the ability to discern right choices. This wisdom is mine today.

I thank God that His Spirit guards the gate to my heart, mind, and mouth. I have the capacity for wisdom and perspective – choosing correctly the thoughts of the mind, the words of the mouth, the actions of the body. Through prayer and meditation I enjoy wisdom in choices small and profound.

Wise and prepared, I make right choices.

— “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind.”— 1 Kings 3:9.

— “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:8.

— “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” – James 3:13.

Blessings, Andrei Duta

August 29

Demonstrate your trust in Me by sitting quietly in My Presence. Put aside all that is waiting to be done, and refuse to worry about anything. This sacred time together strengthens you and prepares you to face whatever the day will bring. By waiting with Me before you begin the day’s activities, you proclaim the reality of My living Presence. This act of faith—waiting before working—is noted in the spirit world, where your demonstration of trust weakens principalities and powers of darkness.

The most effective way to resist evil is to draw near Me. When you need to take action, I will guide you clearly through My Spirit and My Word. The world is so complex and overstimulating that you can easily lose your sense of direction. Doing countless unnecessary activities will dissipate your energy. When you spend time with Me, I restore your sense of direction. As you look to Me for guidance, I enable you to do less but accomplish more.

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear… Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

—Luke 12:22–25

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

—Ephesians 6:12

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

—Proverbs 16:3

Mercy

I must have mercy on those who have offended me. But I am wired to hold a grudge – to forgive but not to forget. Worse yet, the memory of the offense controls my thinking and behavior. So, how do I have mercy?

I need only remember how many times I have offended Jesus – only to receive cleansing and forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a cross, one that I must carry as I follow Jesus. Hanging on the cross is my pride – the true enemy of mercy, not the person who has offended me.

Jesus calls me to walk in a holy way – to a life abundant and free. Mercy is the price of this freedom.

— “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” – Matthew 5: 7.

— “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1: 8-9.

–“If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” – Matthew 12:7.

I came across this devotional from Jesus Calling. A powerful message. A powerful reminder to trust and rely on God in all circumstances.

Let My Love stream through you, washing away fear and distrust. A trusting response includes Me in your thoughts as you consider strategies to deal with a situation. My continual Presence is a promise, guaranteeing that you never have to face anything alone. My children teethe on the truth that I am always with them, yet they stumble around in a stupor, unaware of My loving Presence all around them. How that grieves Me!

When you walk through a day in trusting dependence on Me, My aching heart is soothed. Gently bring your attention back to Me whenever it wanders away. I look for persistence—rather than perfection—in your walk with Me.

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.

—Psalm 52:8

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

—Deuteronomy 31:6

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

—Ephesians 4