 The Deserts In Our Lives Had any desert experiences lately? Been so low in the valley you think
you will never be on top again? Everything going wrong in your life? Maybe life
has gotten the best of you! I’ve been there and more than a few times, and I
have learned to praise God for them all. You see when God is allowing these
things to happen to us He is working in our lives to teach and grow us. Is not
the Holy Spirit’s task to change our sinful hearts and mold us into the likeness
of Jesus? You live in this world we have created with the culture that lends
itself to pride, arrogance and seeking always to do and have the things that we
think we need or want. Changing the human heart is a long and arduous, sometimes
painful and miserable task. We tend to fight it with all our might. We don’t
want to love that neighbor who does everything he can to get on our nerves, that
co-worker who is so spiteful and lies about us. There are thousands of
circumstances that send us down the path of hatred. We
are a sinful people, that’s why we need a Savior and that’s why God takes us
through the desert. If He didn’t then we would never reach our destination of
becoming like Christ and fulfilling His plan for our lives. We can call ourselves
Christians but if we don’t emulate Christ we are just kidding ourselves and
suppressing the Holy Spirit.  I know these are harsh words but look into your heart and see if I am not
right. Until you admit these things and stop suppressing the Holy Spirit and
start allowing Him to have His way you will stay in the desert. I tell you these
things because I know God loves you and desires for you to grow and have an
abundant life here on this earth. One of the greatest obstacles to having a
successful prayer life is not letting go of our pride and forgiving those who
have hurt and forsaken us. Remember what the original sin was? Lucifer in his
pride wanted to set his throne above God. He wanted to be like the most high. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. When we allow pride in there can be no successful prayer life,
which is one of the many blessings Christ death provided for us. He has given us a direct line
of communication with the throne of God and the relationship we lost in the
garden where God would come and walk with Adam in the cool of the day. Don’t let
pride stand between you and your relationship with God.  Mark 11:25-26 25and when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any:
that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your
Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. When you go to prayer ask God to search your heart to see if you
are holding in unforgiveness for someone. We cannot expect God to forgive us our
sins when we are holding sin in our hearts for others. Colossians 3:12-13 12Put on therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, long-suffering; 13Forbearing one another and forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  My desire is for every child of God to have a sincere prayer life
and relationship with their creator. I would not be fulfilling the purpose that
God has laid upon my heart if I did not speak the truth of His word. Sometimes
the truth can hurt and we don’t want to hear it but as Jesus told His disciples:
‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you
free.’ May you know and feel the love of God each day as you learn to
walk by faith the path He has set for before you. He is waiting for you now with
a love that goes beyond understanding. I do hope you will pass this along to your family, friends, neighbors,
church members and all those who need to hear the word of God. Your Brother in Christ Bob Goulding © August 2006 Return To:   |