The DESERT EXPERIENCE - An Introduction

-by Ken Brown.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My
ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

- It is imperative that every child of God should understand His ways.
- We think in straight lines and fixed points, and move in a
consecutive manner, that is, from point to point (we start and finish
a book; we look forward to something, and look back on something;
we measure progress by time spent or goods produced; when we
travel, we leave a departure point and arrive at a destination point, etc.)

- God doesn't think in straight lines, He thinks in circles. He's
doing many things simultaneously, He's at the beginning and the
middle and the end of many things - all at the same time.
Therefore, He doesn't think of things in the context of time, He
exists outside of time. Time is irrelevant to Him. He is not
affected by time.

- God's timelessness presents a very real problem for us. God
may speak into our life today and we will assume that it's going to
happen today, or very soon. We will probably place it on a time
line of some sort. But, God may be speaking to us from a point
that is still far into our future. The reason is because He is not
concerned with time, and this is why: God does not measure time;
He measures growth! When God deals with us, His purpose is
growth, maturity, and preparation. And, it always involves death to
self! God will draw us into a desert experience with Him to give us
the opportunity to grow (to die to self), to learn to trust Him or to
gain more insight into His ways.

- And, because of the way we think, our first question is always
"How long is this going to take?" We're not having fun. Dying to
self is never fun. But God won't tell us how long it's going to take,
because He understands that if we know how long, we'll just try to
hold our breath until it's over. He doesn't want us to hold our breath.
He wants us to die!...

- For us the practical result of all this is that God has spoken
words into our lives (even though we must be careful and know,
what was spoken by God, and what wasn't). And because of this,
we know He has wonderful plans for us, and that excites us. We
have aspirations for God. We want to do all those great things
He's spoken into us. But, many times what we really experience
is great frustration, because those things He's spoken aren't
happening yet! When you're frustrated, know that God loves
frustrated people. He knows you're frustrated because you care.
Also know that the reason they may not be happening yet is that
God is still measuring growth, not time.

- In our relationship with God, His purpose is to conform us to the
image of His Son. And, He's content to take as much time as
necessary. We, on the other hand, want everything to happen now,
without suffering, pain, or sacrifice on our part. And God's only
response to that is - too bad. Adjust your thinking. I'm doing this my way.

- When God is dealing with us, we must learn the value of doing
nothing. This seems to be a contradiction; but most everything we
do with God (if we do it right) is a contradiction to us...
We have to learn the value of doing nothing before God. That's
why quiet time with God is so great - you don't have to do anything.
Just hang out with God.

You don't have to fast for three days to get His attention, or recite
long prayers to impress Him. Just rest quietly before His presence
and wait for Him. If He doesn't speak immediately, He will
eventually. But, you do have to learn to wait. It's a matter of
respect and submission on your part. God does not act according
to your time, He acts according to His will. Anytime a believer
decides to press in to God and really get to know Him, one of the
first things God will teach him is His Sovereignty! God moves in
His time and acts according to His ways. Religion teaches that
man is the creator and God is what they created. They expect
Him to do what they say, when they say it. Of course, He doesn't.
But they're too stupid and bound up in their own deception to notice.
- Also, God operates on a different noise level than we do. When
we cry out to Him, He whispers back to us. God wants us to learn
to be quiet, even when everything around us is in turmoil. Psalm 46
starts out with an earthquake and a tidal wave and ends with God
telling us to "be quiet and rest assured that I am God (and
everything is under control, regardless of what you see or hear)".

But know this, when you learn how to rest in God, you'll be
accused of not caring about what's going on around you. In this
world, anxiety and hand wringing is the universal sign that you
really care (that, and whether or not you're wearing the appropriate
color ribbon or symbol on your lapel). However, in the Kingdom of
God, anxiety is only proof that you're dumb. After all, you're
supposed to be having a relationship with the Prince of Peace.

- God delights in drawing us into times of intimacy with Him. Later
in this paper we will see just how He does that. In each cycle of
intimacy there are two specific points we must be able to recognize.
The first is submission and the second is obedience. In order for
us to benefit from being in God's presence, we must first
acknowledge Who He is in submission, and then be ready to obey.