Devotions:
John 5:18-46
Here Jesus is calling Himself God. The Jewish leadership is struggling against Him and His statement. But Jesus had been through His wilderness journey and was ready. They weren’t. Why? Let me direct our attention to v.44, their problem? Vanity. That is, seeking glory of men/women not God. As they were on the stage of life, they chose to appeal to the audience of those around them instead of the audience of One. To become weighty (with God’s glory) in the wilderness we must give a lot more weight to God’s opinion and approval than those around us, especially those not seeking to glorify God (whether they claim to be believers or not).
Exodus 24:12-18
In this scene Moses and the Israelites are out in the wilderness, waiting on the Lord to turn them from the chaos of slavery into the order of a nation that glorifies God. Moses is going up the mountain to receive more weightiness that he might accomplish the great task God has given him. How? By meeting God’s weighty, glory. It changes a person. He had already received the law from God, direction to take the conquest of the Land. But he needed more, forty days more weightiness. At times we’re going to be here, if God is not done with us, and we must learn the patience to stay, not flee, that place where our souls become substantial. It is a place of suffering, a place of fasting from the world’s influence, where we choose our suffering to strength rather than letting suffering to weakness choose us later.
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
I want to look especially at v.16-18. Paul has been and is going through suffering as he serves God. But in him there is a marathon runner who won’t quit. It is powered by the training and spiritual and soulish muscle found in the wilderness. Now let me suggest that we will all suffer. No matter the socio economic or familial lives we lead. No one knows what you will suffer…except Jesus. It is in the wilderness as you meet Jesus and He fills you with His Spirit that you will become weighty with glory. This weightiness will power you through life, no matter the trouble and/or suffering.
Luke 24:13-35
Let me leave you with this, glory is coming to those weighted in the wilderness. Jesus is meeting some disciples who needed some of this on the road to Emmaus. As He schools them we land on v.26. Jesus tells those disciples that it was necessary to suffer (wilderness is part of that suffering) that Jesus could enter His (complete) glory! Glory is coming for those who wait/weight in the wilderness. The thief tries to steal your heart but we must steel our hearts to stay and allow God to minister and free us from the wilderness. Life isn’t all wilderness. There is glory coming, just wait/weight.
Supplemental studies:
The Bible Project: ‘How to Read the Bible Videos’ – ‘How to Read Biblical Narrative’