<< This is a two-part series where we talk about two different instances where God used this phrase (LONG ENOUGH) with the children of Israel. >>
Long Enough!
I told y’all in the last post that during morning prayer and study, I heard the Lord speak to me and say,
— Long enough. Vanessa, you’ve been going around this mountain long enough…
And I know he was speaking to me, but I wanted to do these posts, because I thought maybe it was a word for some of you too. Do you feel like you are walking in circles?
Y’all know when God gives you a test, he doesn’t give failing grades, right?
Have you ever wondered why you seem to keep having the same kinds of issues coming up over and over again in your life and your spiritual walk? Maybe it’s an anger issue that keeps tripping you up. Or maybe it’s lust, or an addiction, or any number of other things.
When there is a test, God won’t give you a big fat F. Instead, he makes you take it til you pass. In other words, you keep seeing the test until you master the material.
It’s like a video game. You can’t advance to the next level until you pass the one you are on.
Deuteronomy 2:1b-3 NIV
“For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. Then the LORD said to me, “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.”
Obviously, when God was talking to Israel, he meant this scripture literally. But the amazing thing about the Word of God is that there are layers and pictures and concepts contained in it as well. So let’s talk about some of the concepts here.
These days there is a popular concept called “True North.” Technically “true north” is north according to the Earth’s axis (not magnetic north). But the term has come to mean finding one’s objectives and aligning that with the path that you walk. For Christians, our objectives are the objectives of our Father – and our walk should align with that and reflect it.
Now is probably a good time to talk about the difference between TEMPTING and TESTING.
God does not tempt us (James 1:13) but He DOES test us. “Test” in both the old and new testaments, translates into “prove by trial.” Testing is a way that God brings you closer to Him. He uses testing to bring you to another level, to refine you and peel away your fleshly layers. It’s where our trust in God develops, and it’s where our faith blossoms and grows.
So, can you be tested and tempted at the same time? Of course! But that isn’t from God.
Temptation ultimately comes from the enemy. It is designed to cause you to fall away from the Master and walk away from your relationship with Him. It’s designed to DISTRACT you away from the real work of the kingdom. BUT, even though God does not ORDAIN temptations, He does give you what you need to be able to overcome the temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) and He also USES these things in your life. God wastes NOTHING. Every experience and hardship (whether brought about by the enemy or the consequences of our own sin) is employed by God to help us accomplish the assignment that He created us to undertake.
James 1:14-15 NIV
“but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
I could go on and on about testing and trials, spiritual warfare and strategies to resist temptation – but that is another post for another day. For now, lets just remember that, as Christians, both trials and temptations will come our way. And we are called to be overcomers (John 16:33, Revelation 12:11).
Back to our original scripture, Deuteronomy 2:1b-3, the children of Israel had been wandering around this mountain for 40 years. It was an 11 day journey, y’all, but they were going in circles. It should have taken them 11 days, but because of their disobedience – AGAIN; because they didn’t learn from their rebellion at Mt Sinai — He let them wander around that mountain again, and again, and again, and again. Ad nauseum.
Have you ever felt like that? The feeling you were enduring the same trials and temptations over and over again? The feeling you had passed this way before? The feeling you were walking and walking and walking, but never really getting anywhere? Sure, God is providing for you. He is making provision for you and you don’t LACK anything you need – but you feel as if you aren’t actually ACCOMPLISHING anything?
Are you walking in circles? Just like in school, you have to master the coursework. DO the work. DO the hard things. DO the things that you don’t necessarily WANT to do, but that you know you HAVE to do. DO the HARD things.
PASS THE TEST.
CUT OUT THE SIN (Matthew 5:29)
LEARN THE MATERIAL.
ADVANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
CLAIM THE VICTORY.
STOP WALKING IN CIRCLES!
Once you have done that, when the trial comes up, you barely even notice, because you already know how to get past it. You’ve already passed that test. It’s not even a blip on your radar.
Long enough.
— Girl, you’ve wandered around this mountain long enough. Head North. You were created to fulfill the assignments I have for you. We’ve got things to do…
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