The Wilderness Will Rejoice!
(7 minutes)
"We stopped short of telling people what they were saved for. When someone doesn't know what they're designed to be and do, and what their life's purpose is, you know what they do? They wander around trying to find something to fulfill their life. You know, you don't have an anything problem, you have a fulfillment problem. When you are unfulfilled, you know what you, me, all of us in this room do? Find ourselves something to fulfill an area that is only designed to be fulfilled by what God says about you." (Pastor Tim)
Religion only ever told us what we were saved from, but Abba is coming to us now and unveiling what beloved sons and daughters were actually saved for. We are designed to be actively engaged in the restoration of all things. And we're going to dive into another scripture that tells us what we're uniquely designed to bring to the cosmos, if we dare to believe that what Abba says is true.
Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God.
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.
And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness. (Isaiah 35:1-10 NLT)
How does a wilderness rejoice? How can a desert be glad? How does a wasteland rejoice and blossom with flowers that are singing with joy?
"I'm going to tell you how that happens. It watches you singing and having joy. Do not lose this Kingdom principle: nothing happens around you that's not first happening in you...Nothing changes in your family until it happens in you first. Jesus said, 'Metanoia, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and it is within.' That means that every problem that you step into is designed to be changed by the Kingdom of God in you. Jesus gets up during the storm and rebukes the storm because He has more peace in Him than that storm has chaos." (Pastor Tim)
This is how the total restoration of all things takes place. The Kingdom within us begins to transform every place that the sole of our foot touches. Just like Peter, our effervescence, the spilling over of our life with Yahweh, will begin to transform our surroundings. The presence of Kingdom men and women will cause the land to rejoice with singing. The cosmos is standing on tip-toe, waiting for these beloved sons and daughters to be unveiled. Why? Because it's waiting for someone to usher it back to Yahweh's original, intended purpose, and it's Yahweh's children that will bring this to fruition. The cosmos is waiting for you to step into your original design, so it can follow suit.
Abba is giving us the grace, the permission, to step into being our true self, the one He created to look just like Him. This has to start with our believing what Abba says about us, and believing what Abba says about this world that He has planted us in. Turn your heart to Abba and allow Him to show you what you were made for. He wants to bring fulfillment and enjoyment into your life, and that comes as you discover who He really is and who you really are.
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Worship: "Jireh" by Naomi Raine & Cory Asbury
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
