Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh.
When the Israelites left Egypt, the Egyptians saw God’s
power displayed as He brought about their release. For forty years, however,
the Israelites lived in the desert lacking faith and power, complaining, and
longing to return to Egypt. When the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan
River, God once more displayed His power. When the Amorite and Canaanite kings
along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan enabling the
Israelites to cross over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the
courage to face the Israelites. (Joshua 5:1) Joshua then reinstated two
Covenantal ceremonies: circumcision and the Passover. All of the sons of the
Israelites were circumcised as a mark of the Covenant with God. When this was
done, the reproach (shame, disgrace) of their time in slavery in Egypt was
removed as they finally left the desert and moved into the Promised Land.
Wilderness Christians are like the Israelites – unable to
display God’s power because of their self-reliance. Wilderness Christians end
up going around the same mountain again and again because they do not trust
God.
Are you a wilderness Christian? Do you find yourself waking
up in the morning thanking God for the day or complaining? I fell under
conviction recently as I awoke each morning complaining about something that
was on my mind. I sensed the Lord saying to me, “Joanne, as long as you start
your days complaining, you will stay in the wilderness; the wilderness is a
place of defeat, not victory.” Since that day, I now begin each day with a word
of thanksgiving to God. Start your days with a prayer of thanksgiving and see
how quickly you will leave the wilderness and enter into the Promised Land.
Thought for today:
What am I grateful for?
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