Daily Devotional

Have you ever experienced the fire of God in your life the one day and the next day you get up and you feel stuck in the wilderness again? Do not let it surprise you when you find yourself in the wilderness after a triumphant victory.

Elijah found himself in the wilderness after defeating the prophets of Baal. Moses found himself in the wilderness of Shur a few days after their deliverance from Egypt. Jesus was driven into the desert shortly after being baptized by John and seeing the Holy Spirit descend upon Him like a dove.

Do you know what Shur means? It means a wall, a barricade, something that stops you, an object that prevents you from moving forward. It is defined as a fortification, a prison. And, surprisingly enough, the wilderness of Shur is situated at the northern extremity of the Bitter Lakes.

You can be assured that when you want to move forward, when you pray for Holy Spirit rain and you want to get out of the Egypt that has kept you prisoner, Satan is going to fight back and try to keep you down. He wants you to get stuck in your work, get stuck in your financial or marital or health woes, get stuck in a diverted destiny that will keep you out of your Promised Land. He wants this wilderness of Shur to trap you and make you bitter against God. His plan worked on the Israelites, and they murmured against God and Moses.

When you find yourself going through the trial of the wilderness, where every scorpion and viper is waiting to devour you, remember that the LORD is still with you. Do not murmur. Fight the enemy and tear down the walls of Shur around you. Do not let the wilderness be your defeat, but rather just a resting place where you can find refreshingly sweet waters for your soul. Confess, "Every wilderness of Shur in my life shall become a testimony that will destroy the enemy rising up against me."