Wilderness Experience

[sk8brdkd]

I have shared my story multiple times over the last year but I’m finally able to put a term to what I’ve been experiencing. I was doing a search online and came across this website: What does it mean to have a wilderness experience? | GotQuestions.org

It explains so well what I’ve been experiencing.

My wilderness journey has spanned a little over 1 year.

it’s still frustrating and nerve wracking to say the least.

the last time I had a test like this, it lasted 2 weeks and then God gave me a 6 month reprieve in which I failed miserably.

I’ve been feeling so confused and frustrated lately bc I can’t put 2 and 2 together. I don’t understand how you put down your fleshly desires and stay faithful.

God has been silent for the most part over this past year except for giving me deep peace at night which I’m thankful for.

Lately though, I feel like God is making things more and more ‘free’ for me as I have been praying for the strength to hold on. The strength to hold is lessening, so, my question is, when I finally let go, how can I keep myself on track fully?

btw, I’m Not used to not feeling anything. This past year has been horrendous. I’ve been experiencing ‘changes’ everyday and I can feel the Holy Spirit working sometimes. I don’t have high hopes after this ends but am feeling extremely nervous.

I have put my best foot forward over the last year and I would like to know what I should do to keep myself on track after this ends?

 

[aiki]

I’ve been feeling so confused and frustrated lately bc I can’t put 2 and 2 together. I don’t understand how you put down your fleshly desires and stay faithful.

You don't. God does.

You continue with God as His child under the same dynamic under which you were saved. You didn't save yourself. God drew you to Christ (John 6:44), He convicted you of your sin (John 16:8), He gave you the ability to repent and acknowledge the truth of the Gospel (2 Timothy 2:25), and He even gives you faith to believe (Romans 12:3). All you did in being saved was to receive by faith what God had done for you through Jesus Christ. All the "heavy lifting" was done by God. He saved you; you didn't save yourself.

Once you're saved, God imparts to you the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell within you and in whom you come to possess all that you need to be who God calls you as His child to be (Romans 8:9-13; Titus 3:5; 1 John 4:13) Without the power of the Spirit, you can't do anything as God intends you should (John 15:5). Like begets like: a dog begets a dog, a cat begets a cat, and you can only beget more of you. Only God can beget godliness in you. So it is we read all through the New Testament:

Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13 (NASB)
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Romans 8:13-14 (NASB)
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NASB)
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

Jude 1:24-25 (NASB)
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

God takes responsibility for making us as He wants us to be. He intends that He will change you, not that you should do the changing for Him. Your "job" is to receive from Him His transforming work, to remain by faith in who you are in Him, and to reflect what He does in you in your living.

But the flow of the Holy Spirit's power into you, into transforming you, only takes place as you submit or yield yourself to his will and way, day by day and moment by moment. God will not force you to change; He will not make a puppet of you. And so long as you refuse to let Him be Lord of your life, seated on the throne of your heart, He will withhold His transforming work in you.

God is not into half-measures. It has been said that "if God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all." This is, in a sense, true: If there is any part of your life over which you are determined to maintain control, God is not fully ruling as God in your life. But when you lay yourself down before Him in submission and humility and give Him full control of you, when He is enthroned upon your heart, then He works to change your desires and transform your heart and make you the person He wants you to be. And as He does, the sort of struggle and failure you're experiencing ceases.

See: Romans 6:13-22, Romans 12:1, James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:6.

 

[splish- splash]

You'll be surprised, to learn that God would sometimes also go quiet on His servants during biblical times. Its very normal for God to do that sometimes. This is why we should walk by faith.

When you spend more and more time in the Lord's presence, seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness, His power will become more and more alive in you and as a result, you, your desires and everything about you, will begin to conform to His will. This is the part where your fleshly desires will now be dying off as Christ becomes more alive in you.

 

[GTW27]

I have shared my story multiple times over the last year but I’m finally able to put a term to what I’ve been experiencing. I was doing a search online and came across this website: What does it mean to have a wilderness experience? | GotQuestions.org

It explains so well what I’ve been experiencing.

My wilderness journey has spanned a little over 1 year.

it’s still frustrating and nerve wracking to say the least.

the last time I had a test like this, it lasted 2 weeks and then God gave me a 6 month reprieve in which I failed miserably.

I’ve been feeling so confused and frustrated lately bc I can’t put 2 and 2 together. I don’t understand how you put down your fleshly desires and stay faithful.

God has been silent for the most part over this past year except for giving me deep peace at night which I’m thankful for.

Lately though, I feel like God is making things more and more ‘free’ for me as I have been praying for the strength to hold on. The strength to hold is lessening, so, my question is, when I finally let go, how can I keep myself on track fully?

btw, I’m Not used to not feeling anything. This past year has been horrendous. I’ve been experiencing ‘changes’ everyday and I can feel the Holy Spirit working sometimes. I don’t have high hopes after this ends but am feeling extremely nervous.

I have put my best foot forward over the last year and I would like to know what I should do to keep myself on track after this ends?

When one finally comes to the end of themselves, The Lord begins. And when The Lord begins, we rest in Him. Jesus said, "My Father is always working", so it is with us, as we rest in Him(cease from our own labors) it will be then that our Father will always be working in us and through us.
In the mean time, press into Him and continue to feed upon His words, for in them is Life. The wilderness is a place prepared, for nourishment. It is not meant to be left until one is full to overflowing.So what can you do? Believe and trust Him, for all of His promises, He keeps.

 

[Sunshinee777]

These kind of "testing times" will produce endurance in believer. So you can grow in Christ and have hope which won't ever fail. You should be praising the Lord for this opportunity to grow in Him. Blessings to you!

 

[FutureAndAHope]

I’ve been feeling so confused and frustrated lately bc I can’t put 2 and 2 together. I don’t understand how you put down your fleshly desires and stay faithful.

We have to realize in our struggles that "if we sin", God is there to forgive.

But generally speaking, we should be increasing the time we spend in prayer to overcome temptation.

Mar 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

In a struggle, it can be hard to pray, but prayer allows us to soak in the Holy Spirits strength, we may not feel it, but God promises to give us strength as we pray. It can be the difference between success and falling.