THINGS THAT MAKE MINISTERS: THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

PHANEROO~DEVOTION
26th November 2017

Matthew 4:1(KJV); Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

THINGS THAT MAKE MINISTERS: THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Every minister of the gospel who is to be used by God will have a 'wilderness' experience.

This is a time period in your life where God will kill your flesh, teach you and allow you to be tested into maturity.

This experience is orchestrated by the
Holy Spirit, as he led Christ himself into the wilderness.

Besides Christ; Paul spent three years in Arabia (Galatians 1:17); Moses for forty years and several others.

As with all those that walked there before us, the Spirit could not lead them where they could be destroyed.

James 1:13 says, “Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man.” The Spirit did not lead Jesus in the wilderness to tempt Him. He was led there to be tempted of the devil.

There are things that God will permit you to go through because they are tests that every minister must endure.

Jesus told Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you, that He may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).

The Lord saw through the eyes of the Spirit that the enemy sought to frustrate Peter but He did not pray that Peter escapes this experience. He prayed that his faith stands.

God knows that the trial of your faith as a minister of the gospel is more precious than the refining of gold (1 Peter 1:7) because your faith is what those who must follow after you will imitate (Hebrews 13:7).

Stand fast in the understanding that these experiences not only benefit you as a minister but they are the anchor for many other souls. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 14:4

GOLDEN NUGGET: The wilderness experience is a time period in your life where God will kill your flesh, teach you and allow you to be tested into maturity.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for your Word. You are the God before whom I stand, in whom my faith and trust remains steadfast and unshakeable. Thank you for the experiences of the Spirit by which you build in me a divine character of endurance. Like Paul, I count it all but joy because I know that any trial of faith is precious. For the many that come after me, they will read my pattern and story and know that nothing is too big for my God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Source: www.phaneroo.org