Declaring grace in the wilderness

Written by Pastor Nathan Gonmei | 29 October 2010

There are times in our lives when we feel like heaven is silent. We have prayed, believed, confessed the Word, and given into the work of God, but it seems like nothing is happening. It seems like we are in the "wilderness". It is during times like these that many believers give up and quit trusting God and His Word.

Sometimes they leave church and go out into the world and try to live in their own plan and effort. The devil jumps to the occasion and tries to convince them that the Word of God does not really work.

Ephesians 4:27 says, …and do not give the devil a foothold. The devil will always try to have access into your life. Notice that it is possible even for believers to give the devil a foothold in their lives. Now, one way the devil works is by putting wrong questions in your mind when you are going through a "wilderness" experience. Questions like, "Do you think God's Word really works?" "Is God really as good as you think He is?" "Do you think that this faith stuff really brings results?" and on and on and on. The devil's goal through these wrong questions is for you to come to a wrong and unbiblical conclusion. A conclusion that contradicts the promises of God in His Word.

My friend, how you stand and respond in your time of "wilderness" is very important. You must resist every thought that questions God's love, goodness, and His grace. In James 4:7 the Word says, submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We must resist the thoughts that contradict the Word of God and keep on standing and trusting. We must declare grace in the wilderness! You may be asking, "What does that mean?" It means you believe and keep declaring all that Jesus has done for you at the cross. You force your mind to meditate on the finished work of Jesus Christ. The devil cannot do anything to a believer who always focuses on Jesus! Never let your wilderness be bigger in your mind than what Christ has already done for you. Your wilderness is temporal. You can outlast your wilderness. Keep looking to Jesus and you will step into your "promised land" in the right time.

I pray that God's grace will be magnified in your life and that you will have the strength of God to overcome every negative circumstance in your life. Remember God's grace is much bigger and powerful than the wilderness you are experiencing. Think on grace, speak grace, and I guarantee you will come out of your wilderness!