“When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee … through the fire thou shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2).
The word crisis is interpreted as ‘decision’ in Greek. Crisis refers to a time of great challenge or difficulty; a moment of decision. It is also referred to as ‘wilderness experience’.
A wilderness experience is a necessary experience for any child of God who wants to go to the next level. For every new level there, is a new devil. It is an opportunity God uses to test our spiritual growth and worth. In Mathew 4:1 Jesus Christ our Lord was taken to the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, in order for him to be tempted of the devil. If Jesus Christ was deemed fit by God the Father to be ‘examined’, no Christian worth his salt should shy away from such tests because tests are ladders for promotion. They are means of evaluation. Just as no institution promotes or certifies students without examining them, you cannot be proven or certified by heaven without having to cross your Jordan River neither can you get to the promised land without passing through the wilderness.
When your faith is tried, God is by the side watching, like a parent watching his toddler walk. Those who stretch out their hands to Him do not fall
Your attitude to tests reveals your worth. Remember the experience of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; if you want to be a golden vessel before God, you must expect higher heat or higher fire. You must bear in mind that gold melts at about 1, 064oC while silver melts at about 962oC. Our attitude as true Christians should be like Job’s. He says concerning his trial: “When He (God) has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” The Bible testifies that during his trial, ‘he sinned not, nor charged God foolishly’ (See Job 1:28, 23:10). The result was that God replaced everything he lost, in doubles.
It is interesting to know that God said that He allowed His people, the Israelites, to pass through the wilderness in order to ‘prove’ them (See Ex. 20:20, Deut. 8:16). Child of God, know that God does not abandon his children who are wise to trust and rely totally on Him. Look only unto Him and not to man or other gods. Keep your hands clean and watch how He will mock your mockers.
It was Juanita Bynum, an American evangelist, who rightly told her congregation that “The rocket is only propelled as high as the degree of fire under it. When the person in the rocket is shot up, he does not hear what the people underneath are talking. He cares not to listen because the only person worth listening to is the person in the
tower”.
Therefore, the only way to pass through your wilderness experience successfully is to hear and listen to God almighty. Do His bidding in thick and thin and He will make you the apple of His eyes and a wonder to enemies known and
unknown.
This is the secret of Abraham, Daniel, Joshua and Caleb, Paul the apostle and the present day saints. When your faith is tried, God is by the side watching, like a parent watching his toddler walk. Those who stretch out their hands to Him do not fall. Even if you fall like a toddler, He expects you to get up fast and toddle along until you walk strong, and are adjudged perfect.
I prophesy to you that divine injuries will surely give way to divine healing and bring out the gold in you. But remember that healing is ‘The children’s bread.’ This can only be guaranteed if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Then you can eat of His children’s bread.
Now say to yourself “I shall not faint when trial threatens because the invisible hand of God strengthens me, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
For questions/counselling, contact chizobausta@gmail.com or phone 08035703484, 08127305733 or you can worship with us @ The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Living Water Assembly, Ajao Estate, Lagos.
