“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22–23)
Many are in a hurry to run for God today, to be seen, to do great works, to shake nations, to walk in the miraculous. While these desires are not evil in themselves, they become unhealthy when they are not born out of intimacy with the Lord.
Many want the power, but not the process; to lay hands and see the fire fall, but not bow their heads daily in surrender. They want the platform, but not the pruning. They want to be used, but resist being changed.
God did not save you just so He could use you. He saved you so you could know Him and be known by Him.
Yes, He calls us to service. Yes, He gives us gifts. But far above all of that, He desires a relationship with us.
To walk with God is to journey closely with Him, to listen, to obey, to be changed little by little in His presence. It is the way of those who draw near to Him long before they are sent out by Him.
It is Enoch who “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 5:24).
It is Abraham who was called friend of God (James 2:23).
It is Mary, of whom Jesus said she chose the better thing. And what was that? Sitting at His feet, listening to Him, rather than being busy preparing a meal for Him. Martha was the one doing the serving, and though her actions were not wrong, they were not what mattered most in that moment (Luke 10:42).
It is those who abide in Him that bear fruit (John 15:5), not just those who perform for Him.
Let us ask ourselves honestly:
What would it profit you to cast out devils, heal the sick, preach powerful messages, or lead thousands, yet hear Him say, “I never knew you”?
What would it mean to move in His power, yet miss His presence? To be used by Him, but never truly known by Him?
This is the danger of prioritising usefulness over intimacy.
You can become a tool in God’s hand without being a friend of His heart. You can be a vessel through which power flows but still lack oil in your lamp (Matthew 25:1–13).
God wants you first.
He wants your heart, not just your hands. He wants to walk with you in the cool of the day before you go on to shake cities for His name. The best thing about walking with Him is that you also get to run with Him. You get the best of both worlds. But this time, you run for Him, with weight, with purity, with fire that flows from love.
We should all honestly answer these questions:
– Am I walking with God, or just working for Him?
-Do I love to sit with Him to hear Him speak, not just listen for instructions?
– Am I after His heart, or just His hand?
Our ministry to the Lord ought to come before our ministry for the Lord, because before we were called to “go into all the world,” we were first called to “come unto Him” (Matthew 11:28). In the end, only lovers last.
Let Your Wilderness Season Be a Honeymoon Season with God
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Obscurity can be one of the most purposeful seasons in your walk with God. Those wilderness seasons, those hidden years where no stage is calling your name, no spotlight is watching your steps, are where God often does His deepest and most defining work.
They are where your roots grow deep. They are the secret places where intimacy is forged and character is built.
Many overlook these seasons because they see them as delay or denial. But in the Kingdom of God, waiting is not idleness. It is, in fact, active preparation. It is alignment. It is where our hearts are trained to know God not as a taskmaster, but as a Father. Not as a force to be used, but as a Person to be loved.
Think about the early days of a marriage, the honeymoon phase. That set-apart time is not just for enjoyment or cruising through places like Zanzibar, Seychelles, or the Maldives. It is for establishing intimacy, rhythm, communication, and deep knowing. While intimacy in marriage continues for years to come, what is built in that early getaway season has the power to shape everything that follows.
In the same way, your wilderness season can be your spiritual honeymoon with God.
It is the best time to:
– Learn His voice with minimal distractions
– Know His presence without needing applause
– Love His Word without needing to teach it
– Serve Him privately without needing recognition
When the apostles were told to wait in the upper room (Acts 1:4), they were not just passing time. They were praying. They were unified. They were being built.
And when the power came in Acts 2, it landed on people who had already been marked by intimacy.
Your season of obscurity doesn’t have to be a waste of time. Make it count; it may just be a setup for intimacy with God that births true authority.
Let God romance your heart in the wilderness. Let Him become more than your Sender. Let Him be your Source, your Lover, your All-Sufficiency.
Always remember; if you run without first walking with Him, you will burn out, show off, or miss the mark; but if you let Him build you in secret, He will carry you in the crowd.
