I heard
Misty Edwards sing a chorus one time and it has stuck with me though I have
never heard her record it.
"The way of God is the wilderness. It's always been the wilderness.
The way of God is weakness, voluntary weakness." The wilderness and
voluntary weakness - those don't exactly sound like an easy lifestyle, does it.
Yet Misty is right. It's the way
God works.
God draws us
to the wilderness to test us, teach us, and encounter us. A beautiful description of this is in
Song of Solomon 8:5 which says "Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning upon her beloved?" The Shulamite woman, a picture of the bride of
Christ, came out of the wilderness leaning upon her Beloved, a picture of
Jesus. It is okay to have times of
being in the wilderness. As a
matter of fact, God often draws us there for a purpose. John the Baptist was
trained in the wilderness. Jesus
withdrew to the wilderness to fast. It is in the wilderness that we learn to
embrace voluntary weakness, the kind of weakness that relies on leaning our
Beloved instead of ourselves.
Fasting
makes you weak - physically weak and even mentally weak. This is foolishness to the world. Why would you purposefully make
yourself weak?
And He said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.
- (2Cr 12:9-10 NKJV)
His strength
is made perfect in weakness. And
it's not just made perfect in Paul's weakness. God said, "My strength is
made perfect in weakness." He did not specify a certain person's weakness.
It is a principle of His kingdom: God's strength is made perfect in weakness.
Oh that we
would embrace voluntary weakness "that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
The famous verse, Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me." He strengthens us when we are weak. He does not strengthen those who depend
on their own strength. Just like
when Jesus fasted in the wilderness and came out in the power of the Spirit
(Luke 4:14), when we embrace voluntary weakness and depend on Him for strength,
his power will rest upon us and we will see His strength made perfect.
When we
embrace voluntary weakness, we also have the opportunity to crucify our
flesh. In fasting, our fleshly
nature is quickly revealed because of our discomfort. Addictions to pleasures
may be quickly revealed. Frustrations and tempers may be revealed. Relationship
issues may be revealed. God allows these things to be brought to the surface so
that we have the opportunity to deal with them and crucify our flesh.
Just as
voluntary weakness will bring forth strength from the power of Christ,
crucifixion of our flesh will bring forth life springing forth in our
spirits. As you silence the other
voices in your life, the voice of the Holy Spirit will become clearer.
Silence the
voice of the enemy that tells you fasting is pointless. Silence the voice of
your flesh that screams it is too uncomfortable. Rise up, oh man of God. Rise up, oh woman of God. Embrace the lifestyle of voluntary weakness. Allow the power
of Christ to rest upon you fully. Crucify your flesh and allow your spirit man
to come alive, grow, and mature.
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