Quick Notes for the Heart: Week One
Experiencing the Fullness of Christ
This is a sneak preview of our Saturday post, Quick Notes for the Heart, for our monthly studies! I hope you have enjoyed week one of our Shangry Study! Praying it blessed you and you are able to join us for the next three weeks as we dig into water, bread, and rest!
I recently read a quote by Charles Spurgeon that said, "You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything else.” His words brought to my heart not only my own seasons of experiencing this valuable lesson but also the story of the Israelites wandering through the desert. Living in the wilderness in tents and experiencing great hunger and thirst was not what they had signed up for post-slavery. They often cried, grumbled and complained; wondering why God brought them to such a desolate place.
The Israelites spent most of their wandering years in what the Hebrews call, the Yesimon terrain. This terrain is known for being scorched land of merciless wilderness. The odds are against you here and I am sure the Israelites felt like they were not going to survive.
Leading the Israelites through an empty land would not only help to empty their hearts of Egypt but it would help them to encounter the fullness of God. How would they come to know their God and His faithfulness when all they had was Him to depend on? How would they taste His goodness through manna and water from the rock, if they didn’t experience hunger and thirst first? The Hebrews also illustrate the wilderness with two other descriptive words, the Midbar and Tsiya. The Midbar is known as a pasture-filled desert and the Tsiya is known more for difficult terrain but with a nearby water source. Despite the group venturing through the Yesimon, they were experiencing the Midbar and Tsiya because of God’s provision! Through His fullness, God was helping them to flourish in their hearts and in the midst of their barren circumstances.
Like Spurgeon’s quote touches on, stripping away false worldly comforts will enable us to experience the fullness of Jesus Christ. He becomes OUR bountiful lifeline to keep going. He is our oasis and our well that never runs dry (John 4:14). Jesus is our manna from heaven, our bread of life (John 6:35) that nourishes our soul. Through Jesus, we can still flourish and blossom despite the arid conditions we may find ourselves in.
When He calls to us in the wilderness, without the noise of the world, we can hear Him clearly. We know He is with us and we are never alone.
Jesus’ never ending well of hope encircles us in peace so that we can give it all to Him and know He is making a way.
When we find ourselves in the Yesimon, we can confidently trust that God will faithfully provide!
Praying this message brings you peace and encouragement!