WTFMT 54 FROM HGM ON 26 JUN 18

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-54 TEXT:

"Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee." (Song 8:5)

 

I. WE NEED THIS WAY

A. The wilderness is a part of our Christian development. It is necessary for our growth. It is God's method for getting His provisions to us and into us. It is that which the Lord uses to bring spiritual enrichment into our lives. It is a means God uses to develop faith and trust in Him.

B. The wilderness is an essential part of the Christian life, whether we like it or not. He brings us to the wilderness so that we may see His glory moving in this particular unlikely and unpleasant place.

C. Let us look for the glory of God in the wilderness. Let's not look at other things. If we do, we will miss the cloud and the glory.

D. Certainly the difficulties and the giants will be there, but looking at them as insurmountable problems and unconquerable enemies will lead us to defeat.

E. Let us lift our eyes from the ground and look heavenward. Helen H. Lemmel expressed this well in her hymn, "The Heavenly Vision" Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face; And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

F. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus." That's the best advice or counsel we shall ever receive under any circumstance. Once we have our blessed Lord in proper view, everything else falls into proper perspective. Then the whole realm of Heaven and abundant provisions come into clear and correct focus. We see the victory before it comes.

G. All that we shall ever need is in Him. Come, let us follow our Beloved into the wilderness. There we shall come under sheltering wings and draw from His endless provisions.

H. There a thousand needs will be met. There we shall behold His wondrous beauty and glory. And from there we shall go into even broader blessings, brighter, and grander glory.

I. God brought the Children of Israel into the Wilderness of Paran for two main reason, one to show His most beloved His glory and beauty. And two, commence the conquest of a promise He made over 435 years ago, the fulfillment of the Promised Land.

J. But they never got to see all of the glory and beauty of God He wanted to show them. They saw some glory, but not the glory God desired to show them and work in them. Why? Because they were looking at the situations and circumstance.

K. Many Christians desire to see only a little of God's glory and beauty. God is wanting many Christians to go forth and eat of the bounty of the promised land, but sadly they have no stomach for the conquering giants or spending time in the wilderness to learn the lessons and gain the strength required to overcome.

L. Many Christians are content to eat the manna and the quail in the wilderness and drink water when God does a miracle. But these lessons that God uses to build faith and trust in Him, not the miracles.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

 

A. So instead of moving into the promised land, the Children of Israel moved into the next wilderness. Forward they moved farther away from what God had for them. But forward into progress, forward and eastward they moved, farther and farther away from God's glory and beauty.

B. If we do not move into what God has for us, now, we too are moving farther and farther away from God's glory and beauty. We then will have to progress eastward.