OUR REDEEMER IN THE WILDERNESS

There comes a time in our lives when it seems like we are living in a very dry land. We are so thirsty to drink clean water and be refreshed in this life full of many troubles. In fact, sometimes, it feels like we're actually choking from the challenges that face us everyday. This feeling leads many to depression and even suicide in some cases. This is the wilderness of life, and one deception the enemy brings to a man is to make him feel like he's alone in that wilderness and no other person has the kind of problems he has. I had a time like that when I felt other people were lucky and happy. I was even in the campus fellowship and seeing the way some of the brethren would sing and dance made me think all was well with them and it deepened my frustration. Thanks to God for His deliverance.

The bible explains how God redeems us and makes our life anew. To redeem is to repay, to save, to recover. The latter is very essential and this is why God is so interested in it. Isaiah 43 reveals the whole plan of God to our beautiful destinies. We can summarize it with three smooth stones.

1. Firstly, the Father clears up any misconceptions you might still have about your life. He knows that sometimes we might feel worthless or disdained because of the ugly incidences of our lives. You might have failed in certain areas, academically, career wise, or you're going through an abusive relationship with your partner or parents, or the bills are going up so high that you're unable to see the other side of the room😔. Whatever it is, know this, "Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine". Isaiah 43:1. Did you hear that, you are God's. If men can take good care of their dogs, then you are well in the right hands. When you pass through the waters, He will be with you; the waters of adversity and sorrow shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire of troubles, you shall not be burned nor scorched. Verse 2. 

2. If men can construct a road out of a forest and it can be accessible, then there's no wilderness from which God cannot construct a road. It doesn't matter if you have reached your wit's end, listen to what the bible says about this. "They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. What a blessing is that stillness as he brings them safely into harbor". Psalm 107:27-30. 

When he said He'll do a new thing in verse 19 of Isaiah 43, it means that in that our difficult situation, He will do what has never entered into the heart of man. God is very flexible and unique. He's a Specialist in doing new things. When He created the world out of nothing, it was a new thing, and no one has ever done and can ever do that; because all things consist of Him. When He parted the Red Sea, it was a new invention. When He caused Mary to conceive and give birth without any sexual relationship, it was a new thing. You might begin to wonder what new things God can still do. He hasn't run out of ideas, and He cannot 😄. He will make a new way out of that same wilderness many have gone through. He is not limited to a particular pattern. So open up your heart and let Him do what only He cannot do.

3. Very importantly, while the Lord is creating a new road in that wilderness, He wouldn't leave us to die of thirst or dehydration. "and create rivers for them in the desert!... yes, springs in the desert, so that my people, my chosen ones, can be refreshed He will give His people rivers of waters to drink from" (vs 19-20). In other words, God has made a great provision for our sustenance in that challenge. It might be a long journey, but He will keep you. He will not leave you to die on the road. The fact that you're still standing, alive, and holding your phone or PC is a confirmation that He not left you, and will not.

The last few verses of Isaiah 43 show how God feels when we leave Him behind and try to handle our problems ourselves. Give God the place in your life and watch Him transform your life.