The Valuable Wilderness

Do you feel like the time you spend waiting on God to work/deliver/provide, etc. is just wasted time in the wilderness?

Hi friends~ I’m excited to serve up more blessings from Priscilla Shirer’s book, “One in a Million”. I must say that the chapters I underlined most were 5, 6, & 7…all about the Wilderness, Why the Wilderness, and Encouragement to expect God’s miracles while in the Wilderness. I guess this resonated with me so much because for the past 13 months, it seems that our family has been “in the wilderness”. It hasn’t been an easy place to be, but I’m encouraged that it is the best place for us to be at this moment. God used these chapters to affirm His glorious work in and out of our lives during this wilderness period, and I pray that you are encouraged from the few quotes I share here.

Remember, one of you dear readers will win Priscilla’s book, “One in a Million”.  See two posts ago for details.  {You’ll have to excuse my ability to “link” to the post.  I’m still without internet most of the time, so I scheduled all of these posts at the same time.  No way to link to something that hasn’t yet been published. We’re hoping to close on a house here earlier than the projected date of Aug. 31.  Please pray with us about that.  (And, no… our Nashville house hasn’t sold yet.)  However, I must say that one thing God has used this book to teach me is that as long as we are where we are – that’s where we’re supposed to be.  So, I’m learning to be grateful for where we are, internet or not :-)}

Now, back to our regular;y scheduled program. Quotes are in quotation marks. Truths shared from the material are not.

* God’s “goal is to make us over more than it is to take us over to Canaan. If we’re to know what victory feels like, not just what it looks like, we need His help in ways we’d never think to ask. Unexpected ways. Sometimes even hard ways…doesn’t He know you do your best running without all these obstacles in your way, without being constantly hounded by one problem after another? Seems like there should be a more direct route to abundant living. This one’s awfully cluttered and confusing…Then again, maybe He knows… that challenges bring out the potential in you – potential you never knew was there. It’s not enough for you to be out of Egypt. God wants Egypt to be worked out of you.”  (p. 58-59)

* “The wilderness, strange as it may seem, is often just (listen closely now) – it is often God’s will. It’s His chosen plan for us.” (p. 65)

* “Listen, you don’t have to figure out the wilderness. You don’t have to fix the wilderness. You don’t have to be able to explain to your church friends why you’re going through the wilderness. Your job as a much loved, highly treasured child of God is simply to yield to the wilderness because its often only in the wilderness where our runaway desires can finally be boiled down to this:

* “You and I simply cannot know who we’d be if it weren’t for the wilderness. We can’t know for sure that we’d be bulwarks of faith and belief without spending some time in spiritual training.” (p. 75)

* “Wilderness travel causes us never to wake up to a day when we’re not totally in need of His love, provision, and care. It reminds us of the reality that even when we’re the most healthy, the most self-disciplined, the most on top of our daily schedule, we’re still living off His blessings. We’re here because of Him. Sometimes the wilderness is what it takes to help us remember that.” (p. 77)

* “Here you develop the hard-won treasures of humility, authenticity, and obedience, becoming more prepared than ever to embrace fully the Promised Land life He has in store for you.” (p. 79)

After these truths, how can we complain about our “wilderness” times while we’re waiting on, for, and with God? These are valuable days. Lord, please help me to embrace all you desire to do in, to, and through me while waiting in the wilderness!

There are SO many more wonderful truths, wisdom, and encouragement found in this book… You’ll just need to read it for yourselves, sweet friends.

Remember to check back on Monday afternoon for the winner of “One in a Million” book give away. Have a wonderful weekend, friends. YOU are “one in a million”! Love ya~