Give In To The Allurement

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.” (Ho 2:14 AV)

I’ve been in enough wilderness areas to know that it takes some doing to allure someone into it.  From a child we are conditioned to avoid the unknown.  Who knows what evil beasts lurk in the shadows of the wilderness?  How many snakes or spiders, capable of making or lives miserable, scurrying along looking for some poor victim into whom they might inflict pain?  Then there are the less dangerous, but nonetheless distasteful aspects of the wilderness.  Where am I supposed to take a shower, go to the bathroom, eat, or sleep?  What if an emergency were to happen?  How far is the nearest hospital?  Then the oft used, but mostly dramatic sacrifices like the conveniences of life.  How will I charge my cell phone?  What am I supposed to do when there is no TV to watch?  When push comes to shove, the wilderness is not something one can be easily allured into.  It might be seen as adventurous at first, but then real-life settles in.  But the wilderness is often where one comes face to face with the God who created and hopefully saved them.

The context here is Israel during the tribulation period.  The verse above specifically speaks of the mid-point when the Antichrist sits on the mercy seat and declares himself God.  The nation of Israel is told to flee into the wilderness.  There, the LORD will sustain her for the remaining three-and-a-half years.  In our context, it takes horrible conditions to entice or allure Israel into the wilderness.  As challenging as the wilderness would be, the alternative is much worse.  However, there are others that went into the wilderness for varying reasons.  Moses was driven into the wilderness because Egypt was after him.  It was there Gad called him.  Israel wondered in the wilderness because of unbelief.  It was there the old faithless nature of the nation died off.  John the Baptist spent time in the wilderness.  It was there God refined John and built his faith.  Then there is Paul.  He spent three or so years in the wilderness where God trained him for the ministry.  There is Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid who spent time in the wilderness.  Twice in fact.  The first time she had to learn submission.  The second, she learned of God’s mercy.  Jacob spent some time in the wilderness on his way to meet his wife.  It was there he learned to wrestle with God.

The wilderness is always a place of great growth and protection.  It is the place of life when the LORD becomes very real.  The things of life are stripped away and we are left to the visitation of God.  It is where the LORD removed any and all distractions so that He can do a mighty work within our hearts.  It may seem like a void place.  It may seem like a dry and arid place.  It may seem like there is little accomplished in the wilderness.  But, rest assure, the LORD allures us there because it is more than it seems.  It is a place of peace, rest, work, and change.  It is often a place where things are permanently settled.  We have to be allured there because it is not a place we would naturally want to go.  Perhaps for a vacation or two.  But not a place where things become more difficult than we would like.  We have to be allured there because there is work to do and the LORD knows how challenging that will be.  So, give in to the allurement.  It may not seem much at first.  It may even seem a bit frightening.  But the exit is far better than the entrance.  God knows what He is doing.  He knows what is best.  Give in to the wilderness.