Your Wilderness Is Preparing You for God's Power

What happens after the wilderness? You have been walking through difficulty, learning obedience, and wondering when things will change. But let me tell you something. God never leads you out of something without leading you into something.

I want you to understand why I keep talking about the number 40 in the Bible. Forty is important, but I want you to see what comes next. After 40 comes 41. And I believe God wants us to move into that next chapter with His power and purpose.

What Does Moving From 40 to 41 Mean in the Bible?

Moving from 40 to 41 represents coming through a period of preparation and entering what God has been preparing you for. I want you to look at Jesus, Moses, and the children of Israel. Each went through a significant period connected to 40, but something happened afterward.

In Luke 4:1, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and led into the wilderness. He spent 40 days being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and afterward He was hungry.

But Jesus did not remain in the wilderness. He came out with power, ready to fulfill His purpose. In Luke 4:18, He declared, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me."

Why was the Spirit upon Him? Because He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captives. That is purpose. That is what I want you to understand about moving beyond your wilderness.

Moses also spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain. When he came down, the glory of God was upon him so strongly that the people could not look at his face. He had been in God's presence, and it showed.

What about you? Have you been spending time with God? Is there something different about you because you have been in His presence?

Why Did God Lead Israel Through 40 Years in the Wilderness?

God led Israel through the wilderness to humble them, test their hearts, and teach them to depend on Him before entering the promised land. That is what Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us.

God wanted to get Egypt out of them. They had left Egypt physically, but there were still things inside them that needed to change.

During those years, God provided manna to feed them. He was teaching them that life depends on more than physical food. Deuteronomy 8:3 teaches that we live by every word that proceeds from the Lord.

But Israel was not supposed to remain in the wilderness forever.

In Joshua 1:2, after Moses died, God told Joshua to arise and cross the Jordan with the people into the land He was giving them.

Mark that down. God was moving them forward.

When they entered the promised land, the manna stopped. They had to begin using what God had given them. Their circumstances changed, but God's purpose continued.

Some of you are holding on to things God wants to remove. You cannot keep Egypt in your heart and expect to experience everything God has prepared for you.

How Does the Holy Spirit Prepare Us for God's Purpose?

The Holy Spirit prepares us by empowering us to live differently and carry out what God has called us to do. Jesus came out of the wilderness with the power of the Holy Spirit, and I want that power operating in our lives.

We talk about the Holy Ghost, but do we really know Him? Sometimes we try to put Him in a little box. We decide what He can do, what He cannot do, and how He should operate.

Why do we do that? Because we have not fully surrendered.

I want the Holy Ghost to teach me. I want to know His gifts, His joy, and His peace. I want the power of God to be more than something I talk about on Sunday morning.

And that power should change how we treat people. How can we say we have been in God's presence and still spend our time gossiping about our brothers and sisters?

I am including myself when I say this. If the Word of God does not convict me, how can I expect it to convict you?

How Can I Leave My Wilderness and Enter a New Season?

You leave the wilderness by surrendering to God, obeying His Word, and putting into practice what He has been teaching you. You cannot continue holding on to the old ways and expect something different.

I remember when I was in engineering school. I had to build a superheterodyne radio from scratch, putting all the components together according to a circuit diagram.

But after building it, I had to turn on the power to find out whether it worked. If smoke came out, something was wrong.

Here is what I mean. We can spend time praying and learning God's Word, but are we putting what we have received into practice?

When you see somebody who needs prayer, are you willing to pray? When somebody has hurt you, are you willing to forgive?

I want us to examine ourselves. Not just listen to the Word, but do what it says.

And when you do not know what to do, surrender. Ask God what He wants you to do.

I want you to move beyond simply talking about God's power. I want you to know the Holy Ghost and experience the change He brings.

Your wilderness is not where you must remain. God has been leading you somewhere. But you must allow Him to remove what does not belong in your life.

So I am asking you today: Are you ready to surrender?

After 40 comes 41. It is time to move forward with God.