Sitting with girls from my small group, we discussed life & love over falafels. I so deeply appreciate their friendship as we can take a conversation from jokes about dating to deeper life issues. One of the girls was sharing about her week & a seminar she attended by one of my favorite Bible professors at APU. She shared a concept he taught through that I've been mulling over all morning...
In dissecting the new testament passage of Jesus' time of temptation in the dessert, he pointed out that Jesus was "led by the Spirit into the desert." (Matt. 4:1). The Holy Spirit purposefully took Jesus to a place of death and famine. I've heard very little teaching on the fact that God intended this time of difficulty. What I have heard on the subject is what God intends to teach us through these challenges, that He will draw us closer to Himself, that He will never give us more than we can handle. And while all of this may be true, I learned a new approach to the story that I like better.
Jesus couldn't have been any "closer" to God. In fact, He was God in human flesh. For us, it must be the same... being so filled with the Holy Spirit, actually requires times of death and famine.
God intends it.
I've been in "the desert" in life and its horrible. Certain aspects of life reeked of death and my soul felt dry. In no way did I consider this as God's way of assuring me I was fulfilling His great purposes, that I was on the right path. The desert may actually speak of a deep connection & closeness to God. And I find this deeply comforting.
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