When you hike alone in a remote desolate place, if you happen to cross path with another hiker, you would instantly feel close to each other. For such a hiker, even a glimpse of a small figure walking over the far ridge would bring much joy. He cannot resist the urge to wave his hand or even give a shout out at this fellow hiker. This natural warm feeling towards fellow human being would quickly dissipate in a crowd. In a much crowded place, you would feel tired of people and rather escape to a desolate place. Walking around the Time Square in New York, you may get annoyed by the hustle and bustle of pedestrians and wish for a clearing of the place, so you can better enjoy the moment. If you meet the same guy at the Time Square and at your remote hiking trip, he would leave a totally different impression on your mind. Our mindset and emotional receptiveness are situation dependent. Therefore, during hardship and lonely walk of life, even with fewer people crossing our path, it is easier to grow true friendship and love. While living in a comfortable and bustling place, it is harder to find soul mate and intimate friend.
This apparent conflicting nature of drawing and repelling between human souls is equally reflected in our relationship with God. When we are buffeted with loneliness, emptiness, and fear, we are more interested in spirituality and open to conversation of faith. We want to search for God and meaning for life. On the other hand, when life becomes easy and enjoyable, or when faith has been turned into a bondage of religious programs, our spiritual interest gets smoldered and we would like to escape to secularism. God changes not (Jam. 1:17), but situations do change, and so do our hearts. Therefore, for an ever-changing human to approach the never-changing God and to please Him, faith is required. (Heb. 11:6) What is faith? It is a promise kept faithfully between two parties, it is a determination in mind and in heart that changes not with situations, it is a dedication of the rest of our lives to the one who saved us.
With a mighty hand God led Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. Before He led them to the promised land flowing with milk and honey, He must lead them through the wilderness. The same people who rejoiced by the shore of the Red Sea, treaded down the wilderness full of complaints, as if the God who split the sea for them and the God who led them in the desert were not one and the same. Yet God determines that after the baptism of the Red Sea, His people should walk through the wilderness of temptation. As Moses reminded them, And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. (Deut. 8:2 ESV) Even Jesus, the Son of God, after receiving baptism, went down to the wilderness. For forty days and forty nights, He was tempted by Satan. (Lk. 4:1) Therefore, we who become children of God through faith in Jesus, must also walk through this wilderness of testing. As it is written, we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. (Ps. 66:12 ESV)
Therefore, we count it all joy, when we meet trials of various kinds, (Jas. 1:2 ESV) because we know it is the Lord who is walking us through the wilderness. As in a dry and weary land where there is no water, we earnestly seek for God and our flesh faint for Him. (Ps. 63:1 ESV) Only in the wilderness God would bring water out of flinty rock for His people, (Deu. 8:15) which is our steadfast faith. (Jam. 1:3-4) In the same token, we must stay awake when life becomes easy and enjoyable. On the one hand, we are constantly reminded of our own redemption from sin, that is our Red Sea. On the other hand, we are looking forward to the riches and glory of the promises of God, that is our land of Cannon. Recognizing these two landmarks, we would know that our life on earth, whether long or short, steep or flat, is a spiritual wilderness. We are a group of backpack hiker walking on a heaven-bound trail. Daily we are reminded not to fall in love with this present world (2 Tim. 4:10 ESV), but ever move forward with earnest longing for God. Together we are marching towards the glorious eternal kingdom of God.
Prayer: O Lord! Help us to thirst after you and follow your footprint in this journey of pilgrimage. Let us forget what lies behind and press on and strain forward towards the heavenly goal!
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