IN THE WAKE of the 1976 Military coup, Túndé was on a trip to Ibadan, Nigeria.
While martial music played on the airwaves, soldiers mounted roadblocks in search of the coup plotters, motorists were inundated with long queues of vehicles waiting to be searched.
The frequent stops were time-consuming; a usually seamless journey became a nightmare.
Being the pre-cell phone era, it was difficult to communicate, many unknowns were at play.
Armour tanks sat in front of the government buildings, the presence of soldiers dawning tactical gears was frightening.
He felt like someone passing through a wilderness of some sort.
A journey that should take sixty minutes took him eighteen hours. Finally, Túndé got to Ibadan.
In the Christian faith, the 'wilderness' has always been a metaphor of some kind, and the 'wilderness experience' is a trip through time.
The Narrative
IT HAS BEEN A FEW WEEKS since the children of Israel left Egypt. While they rejoiced, their enemies reeled in pain.
God had given them a prompt to take them to the Promised Land. He had tried to prepare them for this event, but many of them were still unprepared.
‘Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went into the Desert of Shur.
For three days they travelled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”’ (Exodus 15:22-24)
They were ecstatic when God drowned their enemies. But at Mara, they grumbled. They put Moses in an awkward position.
The people did not trust God.
When you doubt God, you set the bar too low. You displease Him.
Responsibility
THE PEOPLE were not used to such liberty and couldn’t grasp the responsibilities that came with it.
Walking through this highway of information was part of the process of getting them to trust God.
The information they had received had to move from their heads to their hearts.
This process is the reason that "man believes with the heart.." (Romans 10:10)
Tests
THEY HAD TO FACE TESTS to prove their allegiance and understanding.
The journey was to prepare them for their relationship with God and how to live in Canaan.
Psalm 11:5 says, "God tests the righteous and the wicked .."
Whatever tests you face, it's a preparation. It takes your focus off self to God.
Heart
THE EXTERNAL SITUATION revealed the subjective realities of their hearts. They needed much more than deliverance from Pharaoh - they needed a change of attitude.
Many of us need a change of position too.
Reality
SOME OF US may well be at this juncture. We have prayed and made personal commitments to the Lord.
Just when we thought things were beginning to fall into place, they became distant.
The same words that inspired you in the past seem to fall flat. You’re not joyful; church seems boring and a chore. But I have a word for you; there is grace for every pain.
There is grace for your pain
The Word
GOD COULD HAVE SPOKEN to the water and made it sweet, but He didn’t. God gave Moses instructions.
The people did not lack water to drink, but the sweetness - goodness. It’s the goodness that ties everything together.
When this link is absent, the truth becomes stale and meaningless.
The joy of the Lord gives meaning to everything.
Paul summed it up this way, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)
The Miracle
MOSES' ACT OF THROWING the wood into the water seemed simple but changed the course of things. Let us see the wood as the word of God.
God wants you to apply the simple things to your life even when they look like a chore.
Your miracle resides in the confession of His words over your situation.
As you continue to confess and stand on His words, a healing transformation begins within your heart. You move from bitter to sweet.
Whatever bitter situations you face, God can turn it around. He turned their Mara into a resource in the next leg of the journey.
For every challenging situation, God leads us into His truth.
They were on their road to Canaan but the highway of God.
BRINGING IT TOGETHER
MANY OF US HAVE WOKEN UP to the sights and sounds of construction in our neighborhoods. They are usually uncomfortable.
On the road to destiny, construction is always going on.
May God cause you to hear the sounds of his highway being built in your life and help you to align with His will.