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

Devoted Life

God is calling leaders after his own heart. It is timeout for playing church and time in for living a life holy and devoted to Him. Stop thinking that you are protecting the church by hiding your dirt under the carpet. God’s bride is stained because of filthy living. You are abusing God’s bride and publicly embarrassing her. Your TV shows and your unanointed messages are not giving him glory. Stop staining God’s name with your mess! We are not to be ashamed on our wedding day when we walk down the aisle to Christ, but how can we not be when there are naysayers in the wedding party spilling all of our secrets. The bride should not have secrets church! We are called to be pure and holy. GOD IS COMING BACK FOR A CHURCH WITHOUT SPOT OR BLEMISH! Children should not be mesmerized by your gifts (talents) or your money but by your anointing. The world is mesmerized by the business of church. We talk about God but we are not showing him. True disciples will be recognized by the fruit tha...

You are Not Lost in the Crowd. God Sees You!

Someone asked the question Why do we sing? When we lift our hands to Jesus What do we really mean ~Kirk Franklin “Why we sing?” It’s very very easy to get lost in the realm of religion or to get caught up in the hype of “church”. God has blessed so many of his people with gifts and talents that range from writing and composing, to worshiping, preaching and dancing. At my church, it seems like every one has some sort of gift and I must admit that I feel lost in the shuffle, but that brings me to point of asking myself questions such as ,“who am I going to church for?” and “whose attention am I aiming for?” Everyone wants to be noticed. We want to be praised and we want to be the favorite child, but at what cost? What are we paying to be number one in the congregation’s eyes? and do we even care if God is pleased with us right where we are? I’m the queen of being offended and I often compare myself, my progression in Christ, and my life to others. This should not be so and...

Gut Check of the Heart

“But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service]” (1 Corinthians 9:27 AMP). If you need to be told that you did a good job, “You did a good job. You gave, and you submitted to man. You showed up and did what they asked. Good job.” “But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]” (Revelation 2:4 AMP). Gut Check: Don’t love the applause of men more than you love God. Why do you show up? What do you gain from that, and what happens when the way that they applaud you does not meet your need of this kind of fulfillment? Beat your body into submission to God. Serve Him well. Become an early riser and seek the Father to release the strategy for the day to you. Sit in His presence and bask in His love. Thank Him for what He has a...

It Is Well: Faith Through Trigeminal Neuralgia

“ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘ My grace is all you need . My power works best in weakness ’ . ‘ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong ’ ” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). I can’t tell you how many times I spoke through tears. The tears where not because of emotions, but because of the searing shocks caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia. Trigeminal Neuralgia is a condition that causes intense pain, usually affecting one side of the face. It is a rare disorder that affects less than 1 percent of the population. I happen to be in that 1 percent. The pain from this disorder feels like shocks that are auditioning for a lightning storm show. Th...

Keep Your Lamp Filled

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:1–5). Everyone had the same mindset to go to the same place for the same reason. Everyone was on their way, but partial action was taken by five of the virgins. The bridegroom had the capacity to care for all ten. Everyone had a lamp, but everyone did not have oil to see Who they were waiting for. The oil was available, but five virgins did not take the initiative to get more oil. What they had was not enough for the journey they were on. Five of the virgins were wise; they did what was needed to obtain more oil. The other five virgins were foolish, thinking that what they had was enough and that getting...

Pray for your Leaders!!!!!

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset” (Exodus 17:10-12). Can you imagined being called to be a leader? Moses went through a lot just so that he could be used to lead Israel out of bondage. Moses was talked about by his family, he was misunderstood because of his relationship with God, and the people he was called to lead always wanted to choose a new leader because they didn’t respect the direction that he was called to take them in. When you reject your leader, you reject God. The people were rejecting God when they disrespected the leadership of Moses because he was God led. ...

The Process of Faithing It: Trusting Jesus with Your Faith

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction” (Mark 5:34 NKJV). Can you imagine Jesus in a crowd? Everyone has a need, but His target in that moment is to go and build the faith of a little girl’s family at the request of her father because they think that she will die. The father is scared, but Jesus was on the way until He felt something. This feeling was different, but powerful. Jesus turns around looking, asking questions, but finds his answer in the form of a woman, standing and looking amazed at what just happened to her. After 13 years of anemia, tiredness, dizzy spells, soiled clothing, and impacted relationships, she is healed. This woman with an issue of blood had spent all of her money, but decided to trust Jesus with her faith, which was all that she had left. Jesus was not too busy to stop and ask, “Who touched me?”. The disciples reminded Jesus of all the people that were around them, but this touch was different. Some...

Fear Can Not Exist Where Healing is Needed: The Authority of Jesus within Mental Health

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” ( John 10:10 KJV). The people of Gadarenes gave the enemy access to their region, not just a man at a tomb. As a bystander within Mark 5, I’ve seen many parts of this scenario played out in real time. I know the broken heart that Jesus had at seeing this man, and I also know the love and compassion that He had for him as well. The people may have feared the man because of his strength, but Jesus understood and displayed that fear could not exist where healing is needed . Working within the mental health field, I’ve seen what was depicted by the man at the tomb. It’s not easy, but Jesus removed the cover of what was happening. The Legion of demons (composed of thousands of demons) thought that they could continue to reign and rule, but the King stepped onto the ground and caused atmospheric shift to happen. “T...

Answer The Call

I think that we all know what it’s like to miss an important call, right? We move our schedules around and we keep our phones glued to us; but unfortunately, there are still times when we end up missing that call that means so much to us. How about times when we miss a call that was important, and we were not expecting it? We may recognize the number on the caller id, but the person on the other end has already hung up or they do not answer their phone by time we are able to call them back. To make a long story short, it’s not good to miss an important call. When we do, we become inconvenienced and have to wait for that phone call to come again. We all know what it’s like to miss an important call from a person, but what about the times that we have missed a call from the Lord? We all have so much to do and think about that we miss a special call from Jesus daily. We get so caught up in tradition and prayer times, that we miss the call to be the church at all times. Church is not...

Stand Firm: Rooted and Grounded in God’s Word

It is easy to condemn Moses. How could he, out of all people be insecure? I mean, He talked to God in a burning bush that was not consumed by fire! God even protected him in a snake and alligator infested river! Wouldn’t you trust God if He continuously showed up on your behalf? Wouldn’t your war cry be Jehovah Nissi? God was always with Moses. Moses was never allowed to be a normal Hebrew baby because he was called out to be used for the glory of the Lord. He wasn’t allowed to be murdered. He wasn’t even allowed to be a slave. What has God shielded you from because of your calling? What had God allowed you to endure because of your calling? Do you realize that what you’re going through is because of your calling? No, Moses may not have endured what his brothers and sisters endured, but that does not mean that his life was peaches and cream. He may have been in the palace, but that does not mean that people treated him like a prince. If you look at the life of Moses, no one was...

JaNina B.

Search This Blog