Wanderers: Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Hebrews 11:38, “of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”

Merrill F. Unger refers to the time between the testaments as The Four Hundred Silent Years counting from the prophet Malachi to the arrival of the prophet John the Baptist. Most Biblical records for this era come from Jewish historians.

A the end of one portion of historical Jewish history, sometimes referred to as the time of the Maccabees (see post Destitute), they cleansed the Temple and, “They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not long before…they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals.” According to the records this self-banishment lasted almost thirty years.

Their faith took them into this harried lifestyle with no guarantee that they would be rescued or ever able to return home. They fled in order to remain true to God in worship. They gave up everything they knew and loved to follow faithfully God’s words of truth.

And that day may come again to God’s people.

Would we be as ready to stand up with this level of courage? We who some days get upset over changes to our schedules, perceived intrusions in our lives, and fragile egos at hints of disagreement?

Not apart from the Word and the Spirit to sustain us.

During those silent years the words and stories of Yahweh as told by His prophets carried on through generation-to-generation waiting and hoping for Messiah. And each Lenten season we remember the real deliverance fulfilled.  We often choose to give up something during this season, either a habit that has become a hold on us, or time so as to spend more fellowship in prayer.

Sometimes though that focus on making it through Lent without … becomes our primary concern. Or during any other season of life when we face loss and can only manage to make it through the days. Instead, perhaps we should choose to celebrate that Jesus has won the victory for us and that regardless of loss or gain, He supplies true hope every day. His courage every day. His faith every moment.

Lord, please write your words into our hearts, so that we can pass on Your stories to the next generation so that they will know Your hope.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 55:6-8

“And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

Behold I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness.

I would hasten to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest.”