That's Why They Call It The Desert (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22)
Listen.January 10th, 2010
Rev. Dr. Craig A. Wagner
Introduction
A few years ago, one of the hot movies was “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.” After I saw the movie, I read the entire work by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia. It was a fun read, intriguing to say the least. For those of you who have seen the movie, or read the book, you will recall when Lucy first stumbled into Narnia. She was playing hide and seek when she hid in a wardrobe. As she move toward the rear of the that storage closet, moving behind the coats and other garments that were hanging there, so that she could cover up and make herself hidden if someone should open the wardrobe, she all of a sudden realized that there was no back on the closet and she was in the open.
It had opened, almost like a portal, into a snowy other world. She was confused, frightened and terribly lost as she made her way deeper into that world of snow.
She found herself in an unlikely place. The Hebrew people found themselves in an unlikely and surprising place as they wandered around the wilderness following Moses. As they followed Moses their initial enthusiasm for the exile from Egypt began to wane and as the journey grew longer and longer, they felt that God had abandoned them. It seemed as though God had brought them out of Egypt only to allow them to die in the wilderness. Feeling abandoned by God and wandering in the wilderness was not what they sign-up for. Of course, why do you think they call it the desert?
Often we enter a desert-like experience either through a crisis or after a spiritual victory. Note Moses: 1. He murdered an Egyptian and had to flee into the wilderness for 40 years. 2. He experienced the victories of the Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea and found himself in the desert!
There are times in our lives when we feel deserted by God, aren’t there? There are times when we feel that we are wandering in the wilderness – alone; financial difficulties, failing to sell the house that’s been on the market for so long, illness that will not go away, rebellion of a family member, and so on. This morning as we consider one day in the life of Moses, we will begin to understand that when we feel like we’re in the wilderness and deserted by God that is really an opportunity for faith to develop; it is a chance for a genuine faith-lift!
Survival skill #1: Don’t whine! Num. 11.4-6
When we’re in the wilderness, when our faith is at its lowest point and we feel abandoned by God, there are certain survival skills that we can use to help us in faith development. As we look at the Hebrew people following Moses, we discover that they felt abandoned. They had been wandering around the forsaken place.
Where were they going? When would they get there? When would they stop and settle down? This was no small issue as there were in excess of 600,000 men plus women and children who were wandering in exile. Imagine moving camps of that many people! In spite of the number, God provided for his people. He sent manna to feed them each day. The supply would last one day – this in itself demanded a faithful response. Gather more than one day and it would putrefy. But eventually, the people did complain about the menu! They complained and they whined about the food.
They had what one author called “selective-historical recreation.” They chose to remember only the bad. They focused on the negative. They complained and whined about the food. How many of us are like that? We could experience all sorts of blessing from God, but one bad thing happens and that is what we focus on. Crying to God about how unfair it is that we should experience that particular difficulty.
We cry; we complain; we whine and as the people of Israel, we lose sight of the blessing; after all God delivered them from slavery. In their retrospective, they only remembered the security of being in Egypt and not the harsh conditions under which they lived; selective historical recreation.
On our wilderness wanderings, we are often tempted to say, “If only this would have happened, If only my back didn’t hurt. If only my spouse would shape up. I had done this. If only God had guided me here or protected me there”….and we whine and complain. Guess what? The people we complain to get tired of it! One way to make a friend into an enemy is to whine about everything! If you’re tempted to whine and complain, “STOP IT!”
A survival tool: Take out a small card and write down an inspirational verse from scripture: Psalm 2714 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Or another verse of your choosing.
Survival skill #2: Get help Num 11. 10-15
The people complained and whined so much and so loudly that Moses had a meltdown. Moses was weary, overwhelmed and overworked. People were standing by his tent crying and whining. He was troubled. It was a difficult time for the people and for their leader. They sounded like a bunch of babies, but Moses felt alone, used up. He probably began to think to himself – I’ve had it! After all, I really didn’t want this job in the first place. Now look at the people, now look at how terrible and ungrateful they are.
So what does Moses do? He doesn’t take his complaints to others, he takes them to God. He goes to the one who can truly provide help and relief and answers. In so doing, we see a faithful Moses. He prays to God and brings his complaints to God about the people. He does this in the wilderness, the desert where often God does not seem to hear.
Moses was willing for God to take his life because the burden of carrying over 600,000 people was too much! In our wilderness, as we suggested last week, God does not always seem to hear us and our complaints. However, faithfully, we need to pray and bring our concerns to God – rather than whining about them to others. Praying to God is where we find our help, comfort and encouragement during those wilderness treks.
It is in the wilderness that we can slow down, wait upon the Lord, have our batteries recharged. This is where our hope and our trust can be restored. If God appears to be silent – continue to pray – and then learn patience by waiting. Wait with thee assurance that God hears and will respond.
A survival tool for getting help from God: Keep a wilderness record. Again take another card, or write on your calendar, perhaps even post on your Face book page two things: The first thing is to write down one thing for which you are thankful. It could be just about anything. Secondly, write down one way you saw God that day. This could be anywhere: in someone’s face, in a sunrise, in worship or so one. This is your record that God is with you and working for your good, even though it may not feel as though he is.
Survival skill #3: Grow strong Num 11. 16-18
After Moses’ meltdown and his complaints to God, we find that God now has an opportunity to help Moses. This will help Moses grow stronger and become a better leader. He does this in two ways: God raises up additional leaders to help Moses. We have already seen this in the Book of Exodus where leaders were raised up to help with disputes and judgments among the people. No one can lead alone – together great things can be done.
The second way that God helped Moses was to provide meat for the people. They would have more than they could even eat. God helped Moses and Moses’ leadership grew stronger.
And God provided additional help and blessing to the wandering band of people: He gave them clothes that didn’t wear out, victory in battles, laws that would help them relate to one another, gave them directions about building a tabernacle and he would weed out the unfaithful people – the whiners who remained unfaithful and who attempted to short-circuit the plan of God. God was working in the wilderness. He was with the people. He guided them, directed them and cared for them. He loved them and blessed them continually on their journey.
It was probably a logistical nightmare to pick up and move the entire population, but they did and the followed the Lord. Of course, they didn’t simply go in a direct line. It took 40 years of wandering for God to mold his people into what he wanted. How long will it take in our lives? Wandering in the wilderness is an opportunity to allow God to mold us and to help us grow strong in our faith to God and in our love for one another.
Another survival tool for growing strong in the wilderness: Consider doing two things in your life. Expand, enhance or deepen a spiritual discipline; worship, prayer, fasting, meditation or some other discipline. Meet with a trusted friend for dialog and discussion (not whining!). Meeting with friends helps hold us accountable for what we say and how we are doing. Allow God to touch your heart and life - grow strong.
Conclusion
As we have seen with Moses and the people of Israel, the desert is a place where God meets people. Sometimes it does not appear that he does, but if we wait faithfully, God’s presence makes itself know. God provided for the people of Israel, God provides for us. As they did laps around Mt. Sinai, all their major tasks were put on hold, there was no great accomplishment in the wilderness – they waited on the Lord. For us, too we may be anxious and worried, but we are reminded today; God is present and we are called to WAIT ON THE LORD. No whining! Get help! Grow strong in Christ. Amen.