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Final Words

SPENDING TIME IN THE WILDERNESS
(For Pastors)

by Rich Murphy

In the life of every believer, there seem to be times that are highs and others that are lows. Sometimes, everything is going great, we're hearing from God, and anointed in everything we say and do.

Then there are the other times. It seems like God is far away, there's no anointing, we're not hearing from God, we're not getting anything out of the Bible, we're dry, and no matter what, we don't seem to be satisfied. In those times, it's like we're marching across a desert, no water, no shade, nothing green, just dust and heat.

Have you ever been there? Probably. If not, you'll probably get there pretty soon.

When we're in that place, it seems as if we're the only person that has ever been there. "Nobody else has ever experienced this; I'm the only one." "Why does this have to happen to me?"

We need to understand this experience of being in the wilderness, because like all things in the life of a believer, God has a purpose in it. This isn't a time to bemoan our lack of blessings, but rather it is a time of blessing. Although it may not seem like it, God is doing great things in our lives during these times where it seems like He's not doing anything.

Every ministry that ever existed went through a time in the wilderness. This is a pattern that God has established throughout biblical history. Let me show you a few.

Abraham

Before Abram became Abraham, God took him through a wilderness experience.

At the end of Genesis chapter 11, Terah, Abraham's father, started on a journey from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan. Reading between the lines, it appears that God had sent him to Canaan. However, he never makes it all the way to his goal. Instead of Canaan, he settles at Haran.

Why did he do that? Because to get from Ur to Haran, you follow the Euphrates river. However, to go from there to Canaan requires leaving the river and crossing the desert. He wasn't willing to go that far. Like many people, he was only willing to go so far with God. Instead of going to the "land flowing with milk and honey" (Ex 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3) and receiving all of God's blessings he dies short of his goal.

When Terah dies, God then speaks to Abram, sending him to Canaan (Gen 12:1). He starts his journey out by crossing the river and entering into the desert. But, that wasn't the beginning of his wilderness experience. I imagine that his wilderness started when his father stopped in Haran.

It isn't until many years later that we see the fruit of that wilderness time burst forth in Abraham's life. Specifically, we see that fruit when God tells him to offer his only son Isaac upon the altar in Genesis 22.

Moses

Moses is looked at by the Jews as their greatest leader and prophet. Yet, he too when through a wilderness time before starting into his ministry.

If we look at the early part of Moses' life, we find that he was raised in Pharaoh's palace, as a prince over Egypt. At the age of 40, he discovered his Israeli heritage, gave up his right as prince and fled Egypt. On the other side of the desert, in Midian, Moses spent the next 40 years as a shepherd, before God called him to be the liberator of his people.

Moses spent the first 40 years of his life learning how to be a king and a god, and the next 40 years learning how to be a leader and God's servant. This was probably one of the greatest wilderness experiences of all time.

The next time you feel like complaining about being in the wilderness, remember Moses, at least you're not spending 40 years with sheep…

Israel

Even though Israel isn't an individual, but a nation, I feel it is worth mentioning here. As a people, the nation of Israel had a calling from God to be His witness to the world. Before they could become that witness, he took them through the wilderness.

The forty years that Israel spent in the wilderness wasn't just a punishment for those who didn't believe; it was also a learning experience for the nation of Israel. If we look at the various stops they made along the road, each one had a lesson for them to learn. If we take an overview of these lessons, we see a progression of learning and preparation.

Jesus

Even Jesus went through a wilderness experience before entering into ministry. After He was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness for forty days (Mt 4:1; Mk 1:12; Lk 4:1).

If Jesus had to have a wilderness experience, what makes us think that we don't need one? Jesus spent that time in intense fasting and prayer, being prepared and transformed by the Holy Spirit from a carpenter to a minister (He was always the Son of God, but He didn't minister as the Son of God before this point).

Please note however, that when Jesus came out of that wilderness experience He was ready to minister in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Paul

Paul actually went through more than one wilderness experience. His first was a short one, immediately after his Damascus road experience. Acts chapter nine tells us that after Paul spoke to Jesus on that fateful day, he spent three days without sight, praying to the Lord. During that time, God was continuing the process of change that He had begun in Paul's heart out there on the road.

Immediately after receiving back his sight Paul began to preach boldly for the Lord. But then, we find that there is a three year period in which Paul is in a greater wilderness experience. The Holy Spirit takes him out of public view to teach him.

Finally, we can look at the time he was imprisoned as another wilderness experience.

In each of these three times, the Holy Spirit was working in Paul to change and prepare him for the next stage of his ministry. That's the purpose of the wilderness experience.

Okay, so we have biblical examples of people going through the wilderness, but how does that apply to me? What exactly is God doing in that wilderness time?

"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. ¹⁸ I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. ¹⁹ I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together, ²⁰ That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Isaiah 41:17-20

We find a clue to what God is doing during the wilderness time in these verses of the prophet Isaiah. God gave this passage of scripture to me in 1990, when I was going through a wilderness experience. Through it, He showed me what He was doing in my life during a time when I thought nothing was going on. As with much of prophecy, the lesson is contained within the written image, in a form that may not exactly be clear.

The key to understanding many of the images written in prophecy is to remember that God is not concerned with the physical, but the spiritual. Everything is talking about a spiritual truth, but doing so by describing physical things. We need to understand the symbolism used, to see the spiritual truth being described.

Many times, the Bible defines these symbols for us. A commonly understood symbol is oil. Throughout the Bible, oil is used as a symbol for the anointing power of the Holy Spirit.

So, let's take a look at these verses, since they talk about the wilderness, and see what they can show us about the work of the Holy Spirit in us during our wilderness experiences.

The first verse, Isaiah 41:17, pretty well describes the condition of a person in the wilderness, especially the phrase "their tongues fail for thirst." Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Mt 5:6). That hunger and thirst is the condition of the heart that is wanting more from God. The exact condition of a heart that is in the wilderness.

Notice that Jesus says: "they shall be filled." This is one important thing we must keep in mind during the wilderness experience. Jesus Himself promises that we shall be satisfied.

Then, in verse 18, the Lord starts speaking about how those thirsty ones will be satisfied. He says: "I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water." There are four waters here, indicating four different things that God is doing.

These first things that God says He will do all involve water. In biblical symbolism, water always represents the Word of God. So, the first things that God will do all involve the Bible.

We see four different waters mentioned here, rivers, fountains, pools and springs. I don't think God would have mentioned four different things if they each meant the same thing. Therefore, there are four different things involving the Word that God is doing in us during this wilderness experience.

Rivers

The most obvious thing about rivers is that they are moving. Just like the Word of God, they aren't stagnant, they are active, going places, doing things, and providing power. When we look at the Bible as only a stagnant, dry book full of commandments from God, it can't do anything for our lives. But, when we see the Bible as an active Word, full of the power of God, then it can start to empower us to do His will.

So, the first thing we see God doing in us is to give us an understanding of the power of His Word, not just for the past, but for the present and future as well. Our God desires to show Himself strong on our behalf (2 Chron 16:9), but has chosen to limit Himself to working through the avenue of our faith and our prayers.

As believers, we must learn how to apply God's Word to any given situation. In a sense, the Bible is like a cabinet full of medicines. Each is powerful and effective for a specific situation or need, but they must be applied to the right problem. So too, each verse of the Bible is powerful and effective when used for the right situation. But, if we just throw any verse at a situation, we don't accomplish anything. We must know the right verses to use for the right situations at the right times.

God desires that we learn to apply His Word to the world around us. Not just by preaching it to people, but by declaring the truth as light into the darkness. We can move the mountains with the mustard seed of our faith, when empowered by God's Spirit and His Word.

The other place we see rivers described in the Bible is the River of the Water of Life (Rev 22:1) that flows out from under the throne of God. Notice that it refers to water again. We could also call this the River of the Word of God Which Brings Life. The Word of God brings life to those who find it.

As we learn to apply God's Word to a situation, we also learn how to bring life into the same situations. Every time we speak the Word, we are speaking life; bringing life to those who need it.

Jesus said that rivers of living water shall flow out of the belly of believers. How will this happen? It will happen when we are so full of the Word of God that the believers can no longer hold it in. We'll be so full of God's Word that when we walk into situations the Word will flow out of our mouths. Not just any word, but the right word to bring life into the situation.

Fountains

When we think of fountains, we think again of an active moving water. But, this time, the water isn't flowing it's literally moved with such force that it can go straight up in the air! In the natural, to create a fountain requires a lot of pressure. Putting the water under pressure to the point where it has to forcefully escape from a small hole, the only place possible!

So too the Word must be in our lives. I mentioned in my talk about the rivers that the Word must come out of our lives as an active force, changing the world around us. Here we see an image of our hearts so full of the Bible that it is all we can do to contain it. At the slightest provocation, the Word of God flows out of us through the only hole possible, our mouths. Not coming out in a trickle either, but in a forceful, direct, powerful way that shoots directly into the heart of the problem and brings the Word directly to the root.

This is almost spectacular in operation. Instead of dull, dry prayers for the sick, people who are this full of the Word of God rise up to pray a prayer not of tradition, but of faith, full of Scripture quotations, and dealing with the problem in a way that doesn't give Satan any option. He must flee!

Fountains are beautiful to watch, and so too is a believer ministering to people when they are so full of the Word of God that they can't contain it. Their messages have life in them, not just theology. Their prayers bring changes, not just good feelings, and their life shines forth with the presence of God.

Pools

A pool is a place where water is stored. Unlike a river or fountain, which are water at work, a pool is still and quiet. Water in a pool is waiting for it's opportunity to move out into a river. This isn't the active part of the Bible in our lives, but the storing up for future need.

For a pool to be effective, it has to be deep. A large shallow lake will lose a lot of water to evaporation, due to the large surface area. But, a small deep lake will hold its water, losing very little to evaporation.

God desires to create a depth in His Word within our hearts during the wilderness experience. Not a superficial, shallow understanding that anyone can get out of books, but a deep understanding and revelation of specific areas of the Bible.

These areas can and probably will be different for each and every believer, depending upon their individual calling and ministry. That's why they are something that we can't just get out of Christian books and commentaries. To have this type of depth requires that we receive the teaching directly from the greatest teacher of all time, the Holy Spirit. As individuals in the wilderness, we must dig into God's Word, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, to seek those things that others overlook. We must ask questions, then seek out the answers. Don't worry, the Holy Spirit has the answer to any question you might ask.

Another thing a pool needs is a constant refilling of water. Pools that sit still, without anything new coming in tend to become stagnant places of death, instead of vibrant places of life. A believer who counts on the Word stored up in their hearts and minds, without seeking for new revelation and understanding will become stagnant as well. Instead of being full of the life that comes from the Word, they'll be full of tradition, legalism, and hypocrisy.

Springs

Springs are clean water bubbling up from underground. This water is usually purer than the water from the lakes, rivers and streams. If one is living in the wilderness, the springs are where they get the water to live on, because it is constantly renewed and purified.

This is the Word that sustains you through the wilderness experience. Although at times it may seem like you are starving for lack of God's presence and His Word, in truth, He is constantly providing for your every need. It may not seem like a lot, and to be sure, there isn't enough there to cultivate a garden, but there is enough to get through.

Notice that it is God who is bringing these waters into our lives. It isn't about us, like everything else, it's about Him. Yes, we have our part in the work, but we can't do it by ourselves. Our part is to get into the Word of God, get into prayer, and be willing to receive. His part is to bring the life that comes from this water.

After the four waters, the next thing we see mentioned are seven types of trees. In verse 19, God says through Isaiah: "I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil (olive) tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together" (Is 41:19).

In Biblical prophecy, trees are a symbol of growth and strength. The olive tree is often used to symbolize Israel, but this doesn't go against this general symbolism, rather shows that God is interested in the growth and strength of Israel.

Interestingly enough, wood symbolizes the human body. So, in a sense, there is a double emphasis on the use of trees to show what God is doing in the wilderness.

Notice that there are seven trees mentioned. Seven is the number of perfect completion. God is saying that He is going to do a perfect complete work of growth in the wilderness, which will bring strength into the life of the believer. Each of the seven trees speaks of a different area in the life of the believer that God is bringing about growth and perfection.

Cedar Tree

The cedar tree produces a beautiful, aromatic wood that repels moths. For this reason, it has been used for centuries to build chests and closets for the storage of clothing, especially wool clothing.

Jesus said that moths symbolize destruction and corruption (Mt 6:19; Lk 12:33). So, the first thing that God grows and strengthens in us during the wilderness experience is a confidence in Him, where we our faith will not fail.

There are too many believers who fall by the wayside in their walk with the Lord because their faith is not sure. They have a head knowledge of God, but they aren't solidly enough founded in their relationship with Him that they cannot turn aside. Oh, they look fine in church, but when they're in their home and work, the Lord is the farthest thing from their mind. Really, they're "Sunday Christians."

The writer of Hebrews put it simply, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)" (Heb 11:6). True faith in unshakeable; true faith doesn't waver; true faith is what gets you through the rough times. Faith isn't to get you out of problems, it's to get you through them victoriously.

Cedar has been used throughout time because of it's beautiful aroma and grain. When we walk in faith in our God, we become a beautiful aroma to Him as well.

Acacia Tree

The acacia is unique amongst all the trees. Of all the trees, the wood of the acacia is the only one that doesn't decay. If you plant the wood from any other tree in the ground, it will, with time, decay. However, if you plant the wood from the acacia in the ground, it will remain.

Perhaps this is the reason God chose the acacia for the wood to make the articles, poles, and planks of Moses' tabernacle. This quality would not only provide for a tabernacle that would last, but also provide an example of Jesus Himself: human flesh without the ability to be destroyed by the corruption of sin.

As believers, God desires that we are to live our lives holy and blameless. The word holy means to be set apart, or separated. Separated from what? From the sin of the world. He doesn't want any opportunity for sin to enter into us and cause decay.

Another one of the things God grows in us during the wilderness experience is holiness. This isn't something that happens overnight, as it requires a change in our basic character, desires, and even thoughts. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to "clean house" in our hearts and minds, removing the filth of the world, and making room for those things that God desires to plant in us.

Myrtle Tree

The myrtle is an aromatic tree, which is actually used in making some types of perfumes. It is known both for its scent and for its beauty. But one of the things not commonly known about it is that a myrtle tree can send a root deep down into the ground in search of water. Finding water where other trees cannot.

Within our lives, God desires that we send our roots deeply into His Word. Drawing spiritual nourishment from the treasures He has written in there. Many believers are pleasantly plump on the outside, but if we were to see their spirits, we would think they are dying for lack of nutrition. Our spirit man needs to be fed. In fact, If the Lord is truly first place in our lives, our spirit needs more food than our flesh.

In the tabernacle of Moses, there was an altar of incense within the holy place. On this altar, special incense was burned to God the Father at the times of both morning and evening sacrifices. This incense represented the prayers and the worship of the people.

A person who is solidly grounded in the Word and in their prayer life becomes a sweet aroma, a wonderful perfume for the Lord. As the myrtle, we too need to send our roots deep in search of nourishment in the water of the Word. Out of our understanding of who our God is and how great His works have been, a desire to pray and worship before Him will grow, sending an incense to heaven.

Oil (Olive) Tree

As I previously mentioned, oil in the Bible is symbolic of the anointing power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Although we can receive oil from many places, in Israel, they get their oil from the olive tree.

One of the greatest needs the unbelievers in the world today have is the need to see the power of God manifest. Every day, people are becoming involved in occult practices, horoscopes, witchcraft and Satanism in search of true spiritual power. Yet, here we are, the church of the one true God, and we aren't using the power He has given to us.

It is clear from scripture, especially the gospels and the book of acts, that God's favorite method of evangelism is a demonstration of His power. Yet many times, while they are looking for power, we're trying to give them doctrine. They come looking for healing and we try to get them saved. They come hungry and thirsty and we give them yesterdays bread, instead of today's manna.

During the wilderness time, there is a hidden work of building up the anointing in our lives. Actually, it's not so much adding anointing, as adding to our ability to appropriate it. God has already provided all the anointing we'll ever need. We just need to put ourselves in a place where we can appropriate it.

Cypress Tree

The cypress is a tree that grows in swampy areas. Often you will see cypress trees with their root structure starting to grow out from the trunk above the water level. This complex root structure allows the cypress to stand firm when the tide is high, or when it is low; whether there is fair weather, or foul. No matter what, the cypress can stand in the water, unmoved by the water swirling around it.

Too often, we are shaken and moved by the events that transpire around us. Bad things happen and our foundation is shaken. Even worse, good things happen and we forget where our foundation is!

We need to have our roots so firmly founded in our relationship with God that the storms of life cannot affect us. Jesus told a parable about two men who built houses (Mt 7:24-27; Lk 6:46-49). One built his upon the sand and the other upon a great rock. When the storm came the house on the sand collapsed, but the house on the rock stood firm. What is the rock of this parable? It is, of course, Jesus Himself.

It isn't enough to only confess Jesus as Savior, we need to allow Him to become Lord of our lives, and make Him our best friend. It is only through a solid relationship with the Lord that we can weather the storms of life without falling.

During the wilderness time we often will turn to the Lord in a much deeper way than we ever have before. Even though we feel He is far from us, He is actually much closer than we could know. In our desperation for more of Him, we build a relationship that will serve us well when we come out of the desert.

Pine Tree

The pine tree is also known as the evergreen tree, because its leaves never turn brown and fall to the ground. Where most types of trees "die" in the autumn and come back to life in the springtime, the pine tree is alive and vibrant all year long.

One of the signs in the life of a mature believer is that they are alive in God all the time. They don't have times of backsliding, when they seemingly "die" to their relationship with God, they are constantly in love with Him, serving and worshipping them with gladness.

Once we learn to know God in the dryness of the wilderness, we are more able to know Him in whatever situation we face. Just as the cypress can survive the storm, the pine can survive the heat and cold. Just as we learn to stand with the Lord during the storms and problems of life, we too must learn to stand with Him whether we're with people who are on fire for Him, or so cold towards God as to turn the atmosphere into a "spiritual winter."

Box Tree

The box tree, or boxwood tree is a common simple tree that is very useful. This tree has supplied wood for everything from wooden crates (hence its name) to furniture, to kites. More than anything this tree is known for its great utility.

God desires to use us in order to further His kingdom. He has a purpose in the life of each and every believer. As we are matured through the process of the wilderness, we grow in usefulness to the Lord. A believer who has come out the other side of the wilderness is able to do much more than he could when he went in.

Notice the great variety of things that God is trying to grow and strengthen in our lives during the wilderness experience. As I said earlier, even though it doesn't seem like it, this time is one of great blessing to the believer.

Another amazing thing about these trees is their great variety. Each type God has chosen to put in this list is unique in its manner, its appearance, and most of all its environment. You would never find cypress trees and box trees growing together, or pine trees with acacia trees. Yet, here in these verses, God says that they will grow together.

Quite often, we try and put limits on what God can and cannot do in our lives. We are limited by human understanding and tend to forget that His ways are higher than ours (Isa 55:9). Our God loves to do things that we think are impossible. Even though some of these characteristics may seem contradictory, or impossible together, our God is more than able to make them all happen.

I love how this passage of scripture ends. It says: "That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it" (Isa 41:20). As believers, we are all called to be witnesses for Him. Let's get that straight, the Bible doesn't tell us to witness for Him, but to be a witness for Him. That's a whole other ball game than just witnessing. To be a witness requires living the life that Jesus would have us live before the world.

St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the gospel in all the world… and if necessary use words." The true preaching of our lives isn't the words we use but the life we live. Through the wilderness, we learn how to better live that life.

So, we're left with one final question. If I must go through this wilderness experience for God, what am I to do while I'm in it?

That's a very good question, and one with a very simple answer. More than anything, a believer in the wilderness needs to immerse themselves in the Word of God. The more revelation and understanding we can take in during the wilderness experience, the more powerful a tool in the hands of the Lord we can be when we come out of it.

Don't be discouraged, when the wilderness comes to greet you, stretch forth your hands and embrace it. Know that it is in the wilderness that you will truly find Jesus waiting for you.

God Bless You.