Matthew 9:15     

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’”

There are times when we feel the presence of God is so close to us, and we feel such an intimacy with Christ. These are great times of fellowship with the Spirit of God, and at such times, the mind of Christ is evident to us, and there is a natural overflow of His grace in all we do. These are the days of the Bridegroom’s presence, but a time comes when we are ushered into the desert of nothingness. We cannot seem to see God, feel God, hear God and discern His ways. These are the days when the Bridegroom has been taken away. In those days, we are called to mourn for His return. And that’s the purpose of the desert experience. It is an absolute catastrophe to be ushered into the desert and not grieve.

In the desert, we must mourn for God. These are the days when God is not evident, and our walk becomes exhausting and draining. For those who had previously enjoyed the sweet presence of the Bridegroom, living without Him is not even an option. When we sense we’ve been ushered into the wilderness, let’s drop all our toys and religious props, and bend down into the relentless mourning for the presence of our Beloved. When we so desire Him and cry for Him, He surely will show Himself again. Jesus wants to be wanted, and the only way He can be sure that we have not taken Him for granted is that we do not continue life as normal in His absence, but instead, make the search for Him, our priority agenda until He again returns. It’s a divine gift and grace from Jesus to know when to and how to mourn and grieve for the presence of Jesus.

“Lord Jesus, life is miserable without You. In the days when I feel Your closeness, may I enjoy You to the fullest. But in the days when I feel You’re distant from me although I know You are never away from me in reality, let my heart grieve and find no pleasure in anything or anyone until I am again satisfied with Your closeness to my bosom. May I practice this gift of mourning every time I enter my wilderness. This I pray for in Your name. Amen.”