(a chapter from the section, The Growth Paradigm, of my book, Heaven on Earth)
After Moses and the children of Israel, they were led through the desert for 40 years before Joshua’s leadership took them into the Promised Land. If God is in charge of your growth, He frequently leads you through a time in the desert experience in order to build strength and resilience into people. God restores fruitfulness and hope back into those who need it.
“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.
We go through life, and life happens. If we don’t guard our heart, or if the peace of God does not guard our heart, then we might pick up unhealthy vibes or ways from the world that might be unfavorable to spiritual growth. As we allow God to lead us, He cleanses us through the fires of holiness. He removes the dross of unrighteousness. In Hosea 2:14-15 NIV, Jesus speaks tenderly of her as his church, the Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ. He will allure his church into desert. The desert here is figuratively speaking, though Jesus fasted 40 days in an actual desert after his baptism. In today’s context, a desert may not mean a real desert, like the Sahara Desert in Africa. The desert is a place of constraint and a place of searching. It might be a parched land or a place of hunger, which might be a place of spiritual dryness or physical hunger or both.
In the desert, the Lord will give her back her vineyards. Vineyards are a place of lush and noble growth. He brings us back into lush and noble growth. He will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. [WordStudy] explains that Achor is a valley in the Judean desert located between Judah and Benjamin [Joshua 15:7]. It was traditionally near Jericho. Based on references in the prophets, the territory and valley were barren or wilderness [Isaiah 65:10; Hosea 2:15]. Achan was executed there for his treason [Joshua 7:24-26]. The name, Achor, means “pain” or “trouble” as does Achan’s name. The Lord will make our “pain” or “trouble” an entry point into hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth. Despite her pains and troubles, she will sing as in the days of her youth. Her youth refers to her trouble free days, where all her needs were met and cared for by her loving and nurturing Father. It will feel like the day she came out of Egypt. The children of Israel experienced slavery under Pharoah. When they came out Egypt, they experienced freedom for the first time in 400 years of slavery. I can imagine that, despite the treacherous pursuit of Pharoah and his armies, that the children of Israel were experiencing relief, joy and release for the first time in their lives.
But He made His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
And He brought them to His holy border,
This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
He also drove out the nations before them,
Allotted them an inheritance by survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
At the start of his ministry, Jesus was also led into the desert by the Holy Spirit just after he was baptized by the Holy Spirit. There he stayed for 40 days and was tempted by Satan but was able to resist Satan’s temptation(s) and did not sin against God.
Searching
Searching the word for the light
The light that illuminates my life
Let the light penetrate deep within my soul
Clean out the cobwebs, light the dark corners
Search me, O God, and know my heart
Test me and know my anxious thoughts
See if there is any offensive way in me
and lead me in the way everlasting
Praise You, praise You, lift up Your Name
Praise You, praise You, lift up Your Word
Satisfy me, comfort me, strengthen me, Lord
The only way that You can
Search me, O God, and know my heart
Test me and know my anxious thoughts
See if there is any offensive way in me
and lead me in the way everlasting
Bible References:
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
May the grace and peace of Abba Father the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Thank You, Abba Father, Lord Jesus Christ.
Word Sabre, scribe for Abba Father, LORD GOD, Lord Most High, Lord Jesus Christ.