Wow, Jonathan’s talk “The Way Of The Lord” is really good. I was sitting here before listening to Jonathan’s talk, and I was thinking about doing something else with my time. Then, a calm, peaceful love and desire for God came on me in a really gentle way. I felt like nothing in this life compares with being with Him, spending time with Him, gleaning more of Him. My life hasn’t always been that way. I wanted other things more than Him and let other things keep me from knowing Him more. It’s like I’m realizing deep in my heart that, truly, nothing else can satisfy like Him. Nothing’s as sweet or endearing as His Presence…Nothing. While none of us will ever be perfect in this life, we can learn to let the things of earth grow strangely dim by getting to know Him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhkLkFCoMUk&t=1584s
Here are just a couple of the precious statements Jonathan makes in the above video: “In the present tense (at the time), it was a rotten experience (any wilderness experience we encounter), but after it was over, we said, “Hey, we did it.” And often what happens, you see, you’re dealing with a hard thing in your life and you’re dealing with the wilderness, but after it’s over, it’s a different story because you’re not focusing so much on all that other stuff. Now, you’re focusing on what God did through it. And God fulfilled something in your life. It may not be easy, but it was what was needed. And when you look back you say, “I was glad, I’m glad cause look at all You (God) did from that.” That’s the truth in your life. The wilderness ends up enriching your life…
…God wants us to come to the wilderness to be with Him so He can give us something we don’t have right now.”
Jonathan goes on to say that wilderness times aren’t mistakes. They’re planned by God. He’s pursuing and wooing us. He’s using wilderness times to bring us closer to Him so we can learn the wonderful blessing of learning to lean on Him (Song of Solomon 8:5).
God bless,
Mark