Skip to main content

You Are Not Alone: Wilderness Chronicles pt.2


“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers” (1 Kings:19;4 KJV).
The wilderness is a different place to different people. Some people consider the wilderness to be a dry place full of nothing. Other people may consider the wilderness to be a situation. Whatever you consider your wilderness to be, know that you are not alone. The devil uses the wilderness to isolate you, but God uses the wilderness to teach you, advance you, equip you, and then eventually release you out (or back) into your purpose. God can also use the wilderness to refresh you.
Elijah was an awesome man of God. He literally prayed down fire and he went against kings in the name of the Lord. Elijah was bold, but he was also human. On one particular occasion, Elijah went into the wilderness after an encounter he had with king Ahab and his wife Jezebel. Elijah challenged the king and queen’s false prophets and won. Jezebel threatened his life after that.
The devil is threatened by your assignment. He will do things in front of you in order to make you feel as if he is more powerful than God. He will taunt you, make you afraid, and attempt to isolate you so that he can finish you off. The devil likes to use depression as a tool to make you give up on your assignment, but God has other plans in store for you if you would listen to Him. Our situations seem so loud. The bad seems to out weigh the good, but God has promised us so much. The promises of God can seem so far away, but God has a time for all things to manifest if you can only just hold on.
I know that your marriage is going through a hard season. I know that your kids are acting up. I know that the people on your job are trying to come against you. I know that you need money, a place to stay, a car to drive, and bills to pay. God sees all of it and He knows, but please just hold on. I pray that you can receive the truth that seasons do change. You do not have to make your tent in the wilderness. God has a beautiful brick house waiting for you in your purpose that the devil cannot tear down.
Elijah went into the wilderness to be depressed, but God meant him there to come against that depression. God meets us in hard places and He gives us encouragement to keep on going. When Elijah got to the wilderness, he tried to go to sleep; but an angel touched him and told him to get up and eat (1 Kings 19:5).
How many of you need to get up and eat? How many of you are trying to sleep the problem away? Today, in the name of Jesus, Get up and eat! God can and will provide all of your needs, but you have got to trust Him more than you trust that voice in your head that is telling you that it is all over for you.
Depression can seem like a giant that just will not die; but God is bigger, stronger, and more persistent than that giant can ever be. The angel came to Elijah more than one time because Elijah needed more than one encounter with him. God understands that you may need more than one visit. God is not trying to be your one-time quick fix, He wants to show you that He is the ultimate solution. Elijah tried to go back to what he thought would work for him and the angel of the Lord was there to reassure him that God was not finished with his situation yet.
In the wilderness, God gives us strength to carry on. He does not leave us there to die. Depression is not of God, but He can use it as a tool to show you, in greater detail, who He is. God asked Elijah why he was there. If God asked you that, what would your answer be? Why are you depressed? Who told you that you were not good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, or talented enough? Who did you allow to lie to you in such a way that it caused you to go into a dark place of isolation? Today, in the name of Jesus, receive that you are a victorious winner!
God asked Elijah more than one time why he was there. Elijah’s answer did not change, but God gave him a solution. The first wilderness that Elijah went into was a dark place that he allowed his self to get into. The second wilderness that Elijah went into was ordained by God. Elijah went into the wilderness with a mindset of defeat and came out with the power to make it through the second one. Each wilderness served a different purpose. 


In the name of Jesus, I pray that God will do for you what He did for Elijah. I pray John 10:5 over you. I pray that you will know God’s voice like never before and I pray that you will gain, listen to, and complete that instructions that God gives to you. I pray that you will run and not grow weary. I pray that you will walk and not faint. I pray that you will be mounted up on eagle’s wings. I pray that you will run after Jesus like never before and that thus run will be different for you. I pray that you will be zealous for the things of God. I pray that nothing will be able to take the strength that God is giving you right now. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Recommended Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-21
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 KJV).

“I had fainted, unless I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thins heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14 KJV).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

See Yourself the Way that God Sees You

In 2010 I was lost. I did not know who I was or where I was going. I was sinking. I was not living a life of purpose, but I was merely existing. That all changed when God injected Himself into the mix. I cannot say that I was looking for Him, but I can say that He definitely took the opportunity to change my heart through love. God loved me during a time when I placed a man’s attention over seeking and falling in love with the attention that He was showing me. God had already placed so much in me that He saw fit to not allow what He had already started to be wasted. I was in a backslidden state, but yet God loved me enough to still use others to show me what He thought of me. When God begins a work in you, He is faithful to bring it to completion. I desired God, but I was not running after Him. God meant me in a dark and lonely place. He continued to shower me with His love and He allowed the roots that He had already planted in my life to go from a dormmate state to a growin...

The Healing Prophet

 I did not desire to write this, but I heard this title and agreed to be obedient. I once read a statement by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. She shared that she would go and sing, return home, and then feel depressed. I understand that feeling more than I would like to admit.   Depression is a weapon the enemy uses against those whom God has anointed in many areas. Depression has stagnation attached to it, and its assignment is to either kill you, isolate you, or both.   As a therapist, I help many people navigate through depression. I advise increased therapy sessions and medication when needed. I tell them all the ways to battle what has been battling them while being in the very same fight myself.   Depression is nobody’s friend. It is an enemy that wounds.   The Healing Prophet is an intentional title. It speaks to the heart of the one who carries and speaks the oracles of God, and  today, God has a word for you, and for me. “Get up and believe Me.”   I...

The Barrel of Meal Shall Not Waste, Neither Shall the Cruse of Oil Fail: RESET

This morning as I was thinking about the fact that God gives us a new start each year, the word reset came to mind. I tried to figure out why that word came to mind, and I began to look up its meaning. I have listed the meaning in the noun, verb, and adjective forms. Reset- set again differently, cause to enter the state representing the number 0, a plant that is planted again, to restore, a plant that has been recently transplanted, adjust again after a failure, set anew. Once I found the meaning of the word reset, I began to look for synonyms associated with it. Words like order, switch, replace, shift, changed, corrected, reformed, prepare, recondition, make ready, modify, do over, reappraise , and rework came up. At this point, I got a little excited and began to wonder how the Lord reset His people in the bible and what that word means concerning me. One of the first thoughts that crossed my mind pertained to the prophet Isaiah and the time that hot coal was placed over hi...

The Secret Place

  “ Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them” ( Mark 9:2  NKJV). Jesus is taking you somewhere. Will you go, and can He trust you  with the assignment that He is sending you forth with?   Jesus could’ve chosen anyone to see Him in the  secret  place, but He choose Peter, James, John, and you. We saw Jesus being both human and God in a uniquely divine manner. We saw the type of encounter that caused Moses’ face to shine in  Exodus 34:29 , and we saw that God is calling us all up higher in Him. This is not about just getting a prayer through, this about getting into a deeper place with Father God and seeing Him in a way that many of you are praying to see Him in if you are reading this.  God wants for us to see Him. His divine glory is all around us, but the secret place is where the mysteries of the Kingdom of God are revealed.   “   N...

Those Are Fighting Words!!

If you would, imagine that words can be cloth in armor, have a helmet on, and can carry a sword. Now, imagine that the words are powerful and can be gathered into an army. The words are strong on their own, but in a large number, they can either propel you into your next step or stop you in your tracks. With a battle field full of words with helmets on in mind, do you see the seriousness of this powerful tool that pushes us through life? Words are spoken to us and around us in our mother’s womb. The words help to shape us and to influence our thinking patterns. Now let me ask you a question, what are you allowing the words that have been spoken to you to do? Are you using the words to fight for you or are you allowing the words to war against you?” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 KJV). In the beginning was the word. The word was with God and the word was God (truth). Everything that God had to say about you from the...

When Your Season Lacks Applause

Everyone wants to fulfill your purpose until they realize what it costs you to say yes to God. People judge struggles and trials that they have not had to survive in. They want what you have, but lack the understanding of the number of tears that you have shed in order to continue to bend when the applause of man says that you should stand- up and be honored when you do something great. Your greatness is attributed to God, but people who merely seek applause from others have no idea what that really means. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8). Walking in your purpose is beautiful. Walking in your purpose with a holy anointing will cost you something. God is not looking for people who want to be seen. He is looking for people who want to submit. Seeking to be seen out of season will set you up for attacks that you may not be ready for. It will cause you to be identified by enemies when your jo...

The Private, Matters

“And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” ( Luke 1:1-20 NKJV).   Zacharias’ prayer was not answered in the way that he thought that it would be. During his prayer time with the Lord, he asked God to allow him and his wife to have a baby, but years passed, and they got older. Zacharias’ went on with his life until his season changed, and it was time. Time for what you may ask; it was time for the blessing of the Lord over this man and wife to come to pass. The issue was that Zacharias had allowed this prayer to leave his heart, and unbelief took its place. Wha...

Jet Lagged: Travel Tips to Follow on Your Way to Your Destin(y)ation

The crazy thing about traveling is that it can be really expensive, but price is only a minor technicality to people who really want to go to where it is that their heart desires to go. For the budget conscious person, high price tags can be discouraging, especially after you see 4 digit numbers with a comma attached to the place that you desire to travel to the most. For those who are not afraid to take a leap of faith, consider for a second where it is that you desire to travel. • Now, consider the cheapest city for you to fly out of? • What airline do you desire to fly on? • How long will you be at your destination ? • Where will you stay when you land? • Are you traveling alone? • How much will it cost? • Is there a lay over? The price for a plan ticket from Atlanta, Georgia to Abuja, Nigeria on a Delta flight is $5797.55. The lay over for this flight is 23 hours spent in beautiful Paris,France. All of this information seems exciting and perhaps ideal if you ha...

Catching Fire

  Have you ever tried to catch fire? I mean really catch fire? That notion seems hard and it seems crazy, but in this upcoming year, you need to get your catcher’s mitt ready because it’s time to catch fire! The fire that you need to be preparing for right now is not a natural fire, but it is a more powerful fire. It is an unquenchable fire. It is the fire of the Holy Ghost. God wants to ignite you like never before. He is tired of his people bei ng lack luster. He did not create us to live a mundane life. We are more than a 9-5 job. Our purpose and destiny is greater than any degree than we can get from a college or university. Stop believing that your title defines who you are. God defines who you are. No longer can you put off your purpose and your destiny. Put the fire extinguishers of life down and get aligned with your father so that you can catch his fire and run with it. God does not want for you to sit on the ideas that he has given you. Stop pushing them ...

Allow God to Make You Great: Perfecting Imperfections

Sometimes the grace that covers your life is the call that God has placed on it. He has invested too much into you to allow you to die in your sin. We are like a treasure chest to God. Some people may look at us and think that we are worthless, but the value of who God says we are is locked up on the inside of us awaiting the season to be revealed. None of us know who we are until God speaks. We don’t  know our purpose or even why we look the way that we do. God is strategic and protective. He can’t reveal the totality of the plan that he has for your life because you may try to either abort your mission or go on a voyage that He has not called you to go on. The grace of God is that he can turn our mistakes into blessings and He can use our season of disobedience as teachable points to warn others about what not to do. God specializes in fools, the forgotten, and outcasts. He gives His wisdom to those who people deem unworthy to have it and He transforms lives through brokenness. ...