The life we live whilst here on earth, is a journey towards the Promised Land.
What we all need to realise & be reminded of often - is that whilst here on earth, we're not getting to the Promised Land.
We're NOT going to get to a point where we have "arrived." If anyone think they have arrived - they are in for a big surprise.
I want you to imagine yourself standing under a thorny tree with partial shading, on the edge of the desert. On the far opposite side of the desert, you can see the lush greenery & water streams of the Promised Land.
Thorny Tree Shade > Desert > Promised Land
Even though you are very far and can barely see what's going on there - you know that life is good over there. And you want to go!
But life as we know it taught us about instant gratification. Instant progress. Instant results. Instant living. But to get to the Promised Land is not an instant option.
There's no glorious plane ride over the desert. There's no fast cars and short cuts to get there.
Thorny Tree Shade > Desert > Promised Land
You can't wipe out the desert part and hop straight on over to the Promised Land.
You see, living in this world. We're all standing in the shade of the thorny tree. We have partial shading and covering. Life is "OK" as long as we keep the hustle and bustle going. We can water the tree, we kan mow the lawn around it. We can control our situation.
But we stand and stare at the Promised Land. Maybe that's the reason why we as carnally minded humans always want more and more. Because we can see that there is more out there. And we want to obtain the blessings of the Promised Land whilst dwelling under the thorny shades. We don't want to pass through the desert to obtain those blessings.
But what we don't ways realise is that you cannot have the blessings of the Promised Land on this side of the desert. No matter how hard you work. No matter how many hours a week you hustle. No matter who you are of what you'e achieved.
What you are yearning for lies on the opposite site of the desert. And no amount of hustle, no amount of achievements, no amount of money or possessions - could ever satisfiy your yearning for the life of the Promised Land - except the Promised Land itself!
If you want to live in the abundance of the Promised Land, you HAVE to go through the desert. There is no other way!
I have said it before and I will continue to say it - it truely is only in the desert where the Father will be able to reveal to you, the true condition if your heart.
It's in the desert where you will come to know the Father's ways and the Father's principles. You will get to know His heart.
God honours obedience and sacrifice. He will ALWAYS bless His kids. And Jesus CLEARLY tells us in the Word in John 14:14 - if you love Me, you will obey Me.
But we cannot fully love Him if we can't understand His will and His ways. And those things we will never be able to learn and experience from underneath the thorny partially shaded tree.
We have to let go of life as we know it. We have to let go of our ways and our principles. A short while ago I shared a short piece on my personal Instagram that I think fits in here as well:
>> God called Abraham to go out of the land he knew. God told him about the Promise Land, but it was up to Abraham to make the decision to move.
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Abraham did not obey God's instruction? Abraham would have missed the promise land, he would have missed what God had in store for him.
Abraham set aside his fear of the unknown & made the choice to walk in obedience to the Father. And because of Abraham's obedience - he could enjoy what God had in store for him.
Are you willing to leave your securities (yes, securities) behind? Are you willing to leave your comfort behind? Are you willing to leave your fears & pride behind? All for the sake of obedience?
Too often we pray to the Father to take us into the promised land. We want to experience His blessings and His goodness in our lives. But we attempt to reach the promise land whilst we are still clinging onto our earthly securities, our comfort zones, our worldly mindsets, our pride, our fear.
The problem is - we want God's provision, but we're not willing to give up our control.
God told Abraham to leave the land he knew. He told the rich man to sell everything he has & then to follow Him. He told His diciples to leave everything behind. He told the Israelites to leave Egypt. No where in the Bible God tells His people: "yeah you just continue with you life and your earthly things and come press on my button if you need anything."
You see, if you want to enter into the Promise Land with everything God has in store for you... you HAVE to get out of your current "land"... You have to make the deliberate choice to obey God and to adapt your life to live according to His principles.
Part of that choice, before you can enter into the Promised Land - you will have to go through the pruning fire. Where God will burn away everything that's not rooted in Him & not according to His will & ways. It might be hard seasons in life. But when we keep our eyes on the promise of the Promised Land - the fire's heat won't sting that much. You'll learn to persist through the fire. Because you know that it's God Himself who's pruning & sanctifying you. And He will sustain you!
Will YOU face the fear of the unknown, because God has called you?
Father's purpose of calling us out into the deep unknown, is that He can fulfill His promises to us & bless us with what He has in store for us.
Hold onto Him. Depend on Him. & He will lead you through! <<
We have to deliberately make the choice to get out of the partial shade of the thorny tree. Step into the desert. Allow Father to strip away anything & everything that's not rooted in Him. And we must realise that we will remain in the desert up until the day Jesus comes back to fetch us. There's no such thing as arriving to the Promised Land whilst we are here on earth.
But we are called to run the race with endurance. And that's my prayer for you! That you may run the race with endurance. May you boldly run into the desert, to the throne room of the Father. And may you fall down at His feet and allow Him to prune you and send you through the fire!
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