A divine invitation to the wilderness
Words that only a few short months ago meant nothing to us now send shivers down our spines. Words like self-isolation, social distancing and lockdown. These words have changed the way we live, and while I am an introvert, they have even left me feeling a little claustrophobic! In a world where so many people are already struggling with loneliness and isolation, they are now feeling more disconnected than ever. Loneliness is an emotional response to isolation and it’s completely normal to feel alone in different times of your life and in different circumstances. Loneliness is a state of the heart and can affect you whether you are physically alone, or you are always in a crowd.
I wonder in this current world climate are you feeling alone and disconnected? Are you feeling like you have been forced into a lonely wilderness?
Luke 5:16 says “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”
Lonely places– speaks of the wilderness, or solitary places
Jesus withdrew often to the wilderness, He would often “self-isolate” and disconnect so that He could connect deeply with His Father.
What if we chose to reframe our perspective in this season and see our physical isolation not as disconnection but as a divine invitation to a deeper connection? An invitation to withdraw with the Spirit to a solitary place where He becomes our all.
When you find yourself lonely and disconnected, hear God whisper His divine invitation to the wilderness and follow Him there. It’s in the wilderness with Him where you will find a connection that will fill every lonely place in your heart.
{IN THE WILDERNESS ANCHOR YOUR SOUL TO HIS PRESENCE}
Where is your soul anchored? Is your soul anchored if the health of your family, or in the ability to gather physically with friends? Is your soul anchored in your circumstances, or in finances? All of these things are changing all the time and if this is where you’re anchored then you’ll struggle to move with the changes. We must find a safe, unchanging place to anchor ourselves, and that place is God’s presence.
“For I the Lord do not change…” Malachi 3:6a
In the wilderness we can anchor our souls to His unchanging love, hope and grace as we are reminded of Who we belong to.
When we accept God’s invitation to the wilderness then we are choosing to anchor our souls in the unchanging while we remain strong in a world that is everchanging.
{IN THE WILDERNESS FIX YOUR HEART TO HIS}
In times of physical isolation and loneliness pain tend to magnify, insecurities tend to scream a little louder. Sometimes this is because we simply have more time to stop and feel and hear them, but it’s also because the enemy loves to get us alone with our pain. In the wilderness your pain finds a place where it can heal. Physical recovery takes times and rest, so does spiritually and emotional recovery, and in the wilderness you have access to the ultimate healer.
“He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds” Ps 147:3
Embrace the time you have in the wilderness, trust Him with your heart, trust Him with the process, and He will heal your broken places.
{IN THE WILDERNESS FILL YOUR MIND WITH TRUTH}
Just this morning I read 3 different news articles that all said different things about the same thing! It is getting harder and harder to find truth. Who do you believe? Where do you go for reliable information? How do we know how we should be living if we can’t find the truth? So many questions and so little answers out in the world…that’s because truth isn’t in the worldit’s in the Word.
Scripture says that Jesus withdrew to the wilderness to talk to His Father and pray. When the Spirit invites us to the wilderness we can come with our questions because it’s His greatest delight to bring divine truth. God isn’t afraid of our questions; He just longs for us to bring the questions to Him and to His Word. His Word is truth and it’s the truth that is going to set us free from everything that is holding us down and pulling us back.
“Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8:31-32
In the wilderness we have the space to abide in His truth and to find more freedom.
What truth do you need to know today?
That you are never ever alone
That you are loved beyond measure
That God is not judging you
That He is patient and kind
That He will guide and provide
Would you accept His divine invitation to the wilderness today?
He is waiting for you there
Elise Heerde is a wife, mother, teacher and writer from Melbourne who loves Jesus and passionately shares about the grace, hope and love that He offers to all. She deeply desires to see the broken made whole, the captives set free and the lost brought home. You can find her instagram account here @her.anchor
