THE WILDERNESS

THE WILDERNESS

We have had an interesting reading on the wilderness. The general thought is that afflictions make this world a wilderness. I do not think that is true. I see that many who are afflicted seek for something to make amends for their affliction, to balance it, as they say. I do not see that any one can be in the wilderness until he has liberty, until he is free from the law of sin and death. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free” (Romans 8: 2). When you are walking in liberty, in the life of Christ, you find that nothing here ministers to your life. In the type there was nothing to minister to man naturally; he was sustained by manna, and no one can touch the manna but as he is in liberty.

What is the difference of effect between knowing the love of Christ and knowing Him as the wisdom of God? Love makes you an object, you are attracted to Him — His wisdom so entrances and absorbs you that there is no ^[p. 96] spirit left in you. Many know something of His love, which compels them to follow Him, who do not know Him as wisdom — as the greater than Solomon.