For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. (Galations 1:13-18, emphasis added)
It is interesting to note that, after his conversion, Paul did not immediately begin his ministry. After experiencing the Lord in such a mighty way, one would expect Paul to immediately begin to preach the gospel. Instead, he goes away into Arabia – the desert!
Wait – this sounds familiar! Didn’t Moses spend 4o years in the desert before helping Israel? John the Baptist spent years in the desert, and Jesus was even tempted and tried for 40 days in the desert.
Perhaps all this time in the desert was meant as a time of preparation. This time where seemingly nothing was happening in Paul’s life was an immensely important time in Paul’s ministry. This was a time of abiding, of simply BEing with God, rather than DOing. I’m sure Paul felt tremendously weak in the desert. After years of being zealous for what he thought was right, years of persecuting the church and trying to keep the law, Paul spent three years in the desert with God. He’d had a conversion experience, but he was still a baby in his faith. The author of a majority of the New Testament epistles needed time to unlearn the “traditions of his fathers” and learn to see the world through new eyes. He needed to be transformed and changed by God. It was in the desert that he learned how incredibly weak he was as a man, but it was during this time that he saw a glimpse of Christ’s power in his weakness.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
I hope and pray that you will be encouraged when it feels like you’re in a desert time in your life. Those times are not meaningless nor unfruitful. God is doing a work IN you! Abide in Christ during those times. Continue to cry out to Him in prayer and seek his face through reading His Word and spending time with other believers.
May God be with you as you journey into Arabia.
Rachel Joy 