My Wife Shares a Word for Our Church From The Lord

This week I'm really excited about what I'm sharing, because it's not from me. It's from the most important person in the world to me: my wife!

I haven't written a blog in a while, mostly because I'm working hard to finish up my first ever book, which should be coming out later this year. My wife, Jill, is not only my best friend and co-pilot in life, she's also my co-laborer in ministry. She doesn't just stand by my side as I pastor our church, she stands firm in her calling and on the Word of God and quite often lifts me up when I struggle to stand myself.

Last week she shared a word from the Lord with our leadership team about the current season we are in as a church. I'm certain it's for more than just us. My prayer is that this word meets you and encourages you wherever you are.

-Zach

KADESH

Last week, while struggling to sleep one night, the word “Kadesh” kept coming to mind over and over. I finally got up and looked it up.

Kadesh comes from the Hebrew root qadash, which carries the idea of being holy, set apart, consecrated, or devoted to God. It is the picture of something being separated from the ordinary and dedicated entirely to the Lord. (google helped me with this!)

In scripture, Kadesh-Barnea was a significant place in Israel’s journey through the wilderness. It was where the Israelites stood at the edge of the Promised Land. In Numbers 13–14, it was from Kadesh-Barnea that the twelve spies were sent into Canaan. When they returned, Israel had a choice: Trust what God had promised, or allow what they saw to determine what they believed.

They were standing at the threshold of promise, but fear and unbelief kept them from moving forward.

Kadesh is also connected to another significant moment in Numbers 20. At Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, Moses struck the rock in frustration instead of speaking to it as God had commanded. Yet, even then God provided water for His people and held Moses accountable for his actions.

So when I look at Kadesh, I see a place of consecration, testing, provision, and decision.

In my heart I feel like this is where we are as a church; we are in a Kadesh season.

We are standing on the edge of what God has promised: a new campus to serve as our future home and a new season of strategically reaching the Sandhills of NC. But before we ever set foot on that campus, I believe God is doing a work in us.

He is setting us apart.

He is consecrating our hearts.

He is teaching us to trust Him.

I believe this season will continually give us opportunities to choose between faith and fear, trust and frustration, obedience and our own understanding.

There will be things that frustrate us; things that don't make sense; moments when what we see looks different from what God has promised and we begin to doubt.

But maybe this is what Kadesh is for.

Kadesh is the place where we learn that the promise is not the only thing God is preparing. He is also preparing His people who will walk into the promise.

May we not waste our last season on this campus by wandering aimlessly or becoming frustrated with what we don’t yet see.

May we allow the Lord to sanctify our hearts and minds.

May we become more sensitive to His voice.

May we seek His face and trust Him more than we ever have before!

May we rejoice that He who promised is faithful!

And may we recognize that even this place: this season, this campus, and these circumstances, is a place where God is holding us, sustaining us, providing for us, and making us more like Him.

Before we step into the “Promised Land”, may we let God prepare us in Kadesh.

-Jill