BROADCASTS.com

b'Sometimes it\\u2019s easier to ask where God is than to consider what the silence really means.\\nThere are so many stories in the Bible of God using people in major ways. Moses led thousands of people from slavery, Joseph saved his known world from starvation, not to mention Jesus Himself making a way to save the world\\u2014past, present, and future\\u2014from sin and death.\\nWhat we often ignore are the stories before the story. God took Moses to an actual wilderness before taking him before Pharaoh. Joseph went to the wilderness of slavery before leading Egypt from starvation. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days before starting His ministry, one that would make a way for salvation for humankind.\\nOften, Jesus takes us through a wilderness before using us. The key word there is through. He doesn\\u2019t just take us to the wilderness and leave us there. No, the wilderness is a training ground. And training grounds are meant for us to pass through, not to stay in. In His faithful timing, God will lead us not just to the wilderness but through it.\\nWildernesses can feel like valleys of isolation and silence. But remember that even in the valley, the Holy Spirit is growing our roots into Christ (Romans 5:1-5; Colossians 2:6-7).\\nSo, if God seems silent, draw in close to Him. Closeness with God requires dropping our walls and getting silent sometimes. It\\u2019s often in the silence that we hear God\\u2019s truth\\u2014the good news of Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Philippians 1:6). When we hear truth, we are trained in truth. And it\\u2019s only after we\\u2019ve been trained in truth that we can go out from the valley and onto the battlefield in confidence.\\nPsalm 32:7 says God surrounds us with \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153shouts of deliverance.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d So, embrace the valley for the training ground it is, then go out and conquer as a member of Christ\\u2019s kingdom\\u2014God\\u2019s shouts of deliverance leading the way! \\n\\u2022 How has Jesus used valleys in your life to deepen your relationship with Him? \\u2022 We talked about how intimacy requires dropping our walls. What walls make it difficult for you personally to hear Jesus in your everyday life? \\nHe led his people in the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:16 (CSB)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nJeremiah 17:7-8'