What if God was taking the American and Austrilian churches through a “wilderness”.  What does that mean exactly?  Man, I wish I knew.  Just know that the wilderness is different for me and you.  For some, it is this supposed place of “refuge” that is away from God where people sought out their own will.  Others, it is placing things, thoughts and ideas between them and God and putting all of their might and trust into these things, thoughts and ideas rather than God.  For some, they don’t want answers from God.  For whatever reasons, they just don’t to be there with Him.

Hosea 2:14 (NKJV) “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her.

This passage has always been my absolute favorite because it is such a beautiful promise of God that gives me joy despite the fact that it is not an easy verse to preach and teach on.  What it speaks to me is that God loves us so much and He is such a good Father that He will discipline us if we are turning away from Him.  When we go off doing our own thing, He is not the type of father that sits idly by.  He will run us out into our “wilderness”.   But those words “And speak comfort to her” says that He is always with us.  He is not so far away where He has to yell at us, scream at us to talk to and comfort us.  No, the scripture doesn’t say, “He sends an email of comfort.”  He is Jehovah-Shammah.  He is The Lord That Is There. He is the Lord that is there with you (Ezekiel 48:35).