66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66-69 (ESV)
Throughout the scriptures the number 40 appears so consistently that it is difficult to just discount its frequency as coincidence.
The Israelites were in the Sinai desert for 40 years.
Jesus was in the tested in the wilderness for 40 days.
The believers were waiting for the Holy Spirit for 40 days.
These and many other examples in the scriptures illustrate being in a wilderness; a period of our relationship with the LORD being tested. When we are waiting on the LORD, it is important to do so with an intentionality of heart, with our eyes fixed on Jesus and His Word. It’s just the kind of waiting that the LORD asks of us, as he points to the faithful 5 virgins that had enough oil in their lamps to keep burning in time to meet the bridegroom. It is the kind of positioning towards the LORD where we have purity of commitment and devotion to Him of spirit, soul and body. Where like the Apostle Peter, we have come to the resolution that there is nowhere else to go and find eternal life.
It seems that so many Christians go through a wilderness period in order for their faith to be tested and refined. We may have faced disappointments in our relationship with other Christians and Church leadership that remain unresolved. Perhaps we have been caught off guard by the cost required to being a disciple and wonder if it is worth it when seeing the success of unbelievers in the world. Put simply, the total abandonment we once had to Christ and His Word is being tested. Is God faithful? Can I trust Him with my life?
Unfortunately like the Israelites, a prolonged time of waiting can lead to a state of wilderness due to unbelief and hardness of heart. As Christians, we are called to abide in the vine and not get our source of life from the world. We are called away from consumerism of our culture, feeding off the temporal pleasures of this world or as Day 14 puts it, a ‘futility of mind.’ The church, Christ’s bride is called to be set apart from the world, to walk in her identity, clothed in His righteousness and spreading the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven.
When reviewing the 40 days for 2017, I was overwhelmed by the need to take time away from the busyness and distractions of the culture and allow the LORD to speak to me through His Word and the designated commentary provided. This is not a quick 5 minute daily devotional- this is a spiritual exercise that requires putting sufficient time aside to meditate on His Word so we can faithfully put into action His commandments- becoming doers and not hearers of the Word only (James 1:22). The prayers at the end of each day require us to be open and honest with the LORD and if need be, receive a bit of heart surgery. It’s a journey worth taking to being filled with His Spirit and becoming His witnesses (Acts 1:8).
During a time of great social and political upheaval, my prayer for you is that the Spirit of the LORD will transform you during this 40 day journey so that you enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:9-10) and live the abundant life Christ has won for you on the Cross at Calvary. That you will learn to daily abide in Him so that wherever you go those around you will be blessed by the Good News.
Yours in Christ,
E.A Mullen
