The Wilderness Will Show You Your Heart

Ps 106: 14 - "But they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tested God in their hearts". I was reading Psalm 106 this morning and I was drawn to verses 13-15. Starting in verse 6 the psalmist begins to recount the history of the Nation of Israel in their journey from Egypt to the promised land. The verses tell of how God was faithful even when Israel sinned against Him and rebelled against Him in the journey. The journey of Israel through the wilderness is such a picture of someone who is unconverted and uncomitted to God but yet wants all His benefits. It tells of the ups and downs of a people that God called His own but yet they didn't belong to God in their hearts. The tradgedy about Israel is that as a nation they never really changed throughout their history and to this day have rejected God's redemtive plan for them and for all of mankind, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. They were never converted in their hearts to be Gods people although they were called God's people by name. Your actions or works will always prove where your heart is. Your works prove the real condition of your heart not what you or others call you.

They soon forgot his works - God had just delivered them through the Red Sea but yet they were fretting and complaining about God providing for them in the wilderness. A uncoverted person always worries and frets about his or her present situation or the future never resting in the past provision and works of God.

They did not wait for His counsel - An unconverted person never waits to hear from the counsel of God. To me this speaks of not relying or seeking Gods word but relying and doing what your flesh dictates. The scripture that Jesus quoted while in His trial in the wilderness was "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Deu 8:3) The devil had tempted Jesus to use His flesh to turn the rocks into bread. Jesus was probably exceedingly hungry but He would not let his fleshly appetites and carnal mind dictate to Him how to act. He knew that every converted man, in His temptation and trial, must wait for the council of God. Man must live by the council and words that God speaks not by his fleshly wisdom and council.

But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tested God in their hearts - As mentioned in the previous verse, there are two things that will lead you in the wilderness - your lust and your flesh or Gods word which is his council. The hotter the trial the greater the flesh will lust. The bigger the circumstance the more your carnal mind will race and worry and scheme. A converted person has learned through trials to wait on the Lord and to bring his fleshly mind into the obedience of God's word. The sword of the spirit is the Word of God and the peaceful mind in the times of trials is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart and mind of a person. Remember Romans 8:6 "To be carnally minded (Fleshly controlled) is death or brings death, but to be spiritually minded (or controlled by the word and Holy Spirit)is life and peace". Verse 5 - For those who live according to the flesh (they are led by and controlled by there fleshly mind not by Gods Spirit and His word) set their minds on the things of the Flesh (They are exceedingly lustful in their mind and thus in their actions) but those who live acording to the Spirit the things oif the Spirit (their mind and live is controlled by the Holy Spirit and thier words or actions prove this out, See the works of the Spirit in Gal 5:22 and the works of the flesh in Gal 5:19-21). To test God in your heart is to say that God cannot or will not provide due to HIs lack of power or love.

He have them their request but sent leaness into their souls - God will give us what we are lusting for. We can and do get what our flesh desires and often call it a blessing from God. But we will soon find out that the end result of what our flesh has aquired and asked for will bring leanness to our soul. Our soul becomes barren of the life of God although our flesh was satisfied. The perceived blessing becomes a curse in our lives.