QUIET TIME TOOLBOX
Wilderness Wanderings
Everyone of us experience days of dryness in our spiritual journey. Many know what it is like to experience a long period of dryness – a wilderness that seems to have no end. And for some, the season can even turn into a long, dark night, in which it feels as if God Himself has abandoned them, perhaps never to return. The truth is that God hasn’t left and He hasn’t changed, and that He actually has a very clear purpose in allowing these kinds of experiences into our lives. Here are a few thoughts that might encourage you.
Stop Blaming Yourself: The first thing you need to do is take the pressure off yourself. Unless you’ve committed some huge sin for which you refuse to repent, this season of dryness is not something you’ve brought upon yourself. In truth, the times when God seems far from us or we don’t feel like we’re getting anywhere spiritually, are all part of His plan to draw us to Himself. In His sovereign wisdom, God knows when we need to experience His touch, and when we need to learn how to walk by faith instead. Because He is always working to make us into the image of Christ, we can rest in His perfect timing to accomplish His purposes in us, rather than fret over our wilderness wanderings.
Put God in the Center: Another critical step is to determine to make this a season for growing in God-centeredness. By seeking to take yourself out of the center of your thinking, and put Christ in, you will be able to get in touch with your motives, and find out how much your heart is set on glorifying God. It is surprising how often we tend to base our spiritual decisions and commitment on ourselves – on how we feel, what we think we’re going to get out of it, whether what we’re doing seems to be making an impact. When we put God in the center, we begin instead to consider how He feels, how He sees things and what He might be getting out of it.
Find out Who God is: There are some practical ways to focus on God during this season. You can do a study of His attributes and character by looking at one of the prophets such as Isaiah or Jeremiah. You can study the multitude of names and descriptions of God found in the book of Psalms. You can read through the Gospels and write out everything you see about the nature of Christ. These are just a few ideas, there are many more. The important thing is to come to God’s Word with questions like, Who are you, God? or What is on Your heart or mind here, Lord? or Why do You do the things You do, Master? You’ll be amazed at how this changes your heart completely when you are in a wilderness season.
Keep A Journal: It is helpful to keep a journal of what is going on during this season by writing out your prayers to the Lord. This will become a testimony that you can look back at later to remind you of what God was doing during your wilderness wanderings. Beyond that, it gives you a way to connect with God tangibly. By writing your prayers in a journal, you can express praise, worship, and your desire, even if you don’t feel a thing. God is worthy of our honor, and when we take the time to give Him His due, we are changed in ways we may never be aware of.
Walk by Faith, but with Honesty: Though we need to learn to trust God during these seasons, this does not mean we're unspiritual if we question or feel at times, a bit desperate. Even the Psalmist cried out: How long, Oh Lord? Will you forget me forever? So while you walk honestly with the Lord, affirm by faith that has not forgotten you, that in fact He has already ordained the day that this season will end. These dry and difficult times cannot last one day beyond that!
