The Wilderness Experience
The Wilderness Experience
Dearly Beloved Sisters and brethren, we are going to receive tips from the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning our career. Let us briefly look into the lives of 5 great men in the Bible who before they began their career, had to go through the wilderness experience.
First of all I will mention John the Baptist. He was a great man of God who replied when he was asked who he was in John1:23 “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
He had to be alone with God eating locusts and honey until the Lord showed him direction. You need the Lord to guide you into the right career path to take. It should not be because it is the most lucrative career or the career that makes the most money or is in fashion among your peers, but it should be because the Lord says it is your path to take.
Isaiah 30:21 says ‘whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
One of the greatest examples is shown in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Before he began his career at the age of 30, he began to seek the face of God. Apart from being very studious as a child in Luke 2:52 ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man’ He went into the wilderness to be alone with God and He got direction. Several times in His career, Jesus went away to a solitary place to pray. Mark 1:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
You need to learn from this and do the same.
Let us also look at the life of Joseph. After he had his many dreams of greatness, he was thrown into the pit in the middle of nowhere (wilderness) then sold into slavery before being cast into prison in Genesis 37 and 39. In Genesis 41 Joseph was called out of prison to begin hi career in Pharaoh’s palace. The butler remembered him at last and recommended him to pharaoh. Ask the lord to open your eyes to see who your butler is that would recommend you to pharaoh to begin your career. You need a destiny helper to assist you. Ask the Lord to send your destiny helpers your way.
The Life of David was also similar. He was tending his father’s sheep in the wilderness but he was singled out by the Lord for elevation. When you are alone with God, in tune with him, he will single you out for elevation. Stay connected to Him. He is your only lifeline.
The final example I will give is the life of Paul. Paul had already started his career but it was not the right one for him. Peradventure you have ventured into something that is not right for you; you need a personal encounter with the Lord to turn your life around. Ask the Lord for that touch that will stop you on your wrong path and turn your life around as He did to Paul on his way to Damascus in Acts 9:1-6 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
His life never remained the same. He thought as a Roman scholar, that was the path cut out for him but Jesus said otherwise. The new path brought him out of obscurity into the limelight. As you stay connected to Jesus, He alone can bring you out of obscurity into the limelight of your God chosen career.
Stay connected to Jesus; keep being a witness for Christ.
Remi Okwechime M.D.