ISOLATION

To be one of God's elect is an extraordinary and life-altering experience.   It is a privilege beyond comprehension, the deepest desire of every true believer.   Yet, this privilege comes at a cost many are unprepared or unwilling to pay.   Being chosen by God is not merely a title but a divine calling that requires intense preparation, refinement and submission to His will.   God allows us to experience the low points of life to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.

When God places His hand upon our life, it sets us apart and on a path of profound transformation, often including isolation.   Isolation is not a punishment;  it is a sacred space where God molds us, prepares us and equips us for the immense purpose He has destined for us.   However, let us not underestimate the gravity of this process.  Isolation can feel excruciating, a season of loneliness and silence that tests our faith, endurance and willingness to trust God's plan.   Here is where many falter.   The refining fire of isolation is not for the faint-hearted.   If you are not vigilant and do not cling to God with unwavering faith, you may lose sight of the purpose behind the pain.

The enemy will seek to exploit our doubt, fear and weariness, whispering lies to make us give up before God's work in us is complete.   But dear ones, hear this truth:  those who persevere through the wilderness of isolation will emerge stronger, wiser and more deeply rooted in their faith.   God's chosen ones are those He has called to a special purpose or destiny out of billions of people.   He has singled us out of the crowd because He loves us.   But His choosing is not a right of ours;  instead, it is a glorious privilege.   No wonder the Bible says in Deuteronomy 14:2,  "For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth."   For God to refer to us as His treasured possession means He holds us in the highest esteem.

But this comes with a price.   God will not single us out of the crowd if we continue to live like them.   We need to go the extra mile.   At this point, God isolates us to remove some things from our lives and add others.   This process might be complicated but always remember that God has a reason for everything He does.   He's too intentional about us to let anything harm us.   I once read,  "Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences but shouts in our pains.   It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."   He has already equipped us for every situation we're bound to encounter. Don't entertain fear;  this isolation will not last forever.   God wants us to know the five essential reasons why being among His chosen ones comes with isolation.

First, He isolates us to separate us from negative influences capable of harming us. Because God loves us, He will never fold His hands and watch us perish.   When He sees anything hovering around us that will hinder our growth and purpose, He ensures that He separates us from it.   It could be losing our group of friends, our relationship or our job.   There are certain people in life whose relationship with us isn't supposed to exceed a friendly greeting.   We mustn't make them our companions because negative influence sets in the moment they access our lives. Remember, the Bible confirms that for “two persons to walk together, there must be an agreement”  (Amos 3:3)   

 If such an agreement is contrary to God's will, He isolates us from such company of friends.   Of course, we might not understand it, but because God sees beyond the physical, He separates us before we fall.   We might be confident of ourselves, thinking we won't let them influence us, but we are always a replica of the company we keep.   If we're always in the company of a verbally abusive person, with time, we'll pick up the same negative line of words. But God doesn't want such persuasions to impact us and so He may withdraw us from such associations.   By doing so, we'll remain protected from detrimental distractions, giving us room to focus on God's will and guidance.

Second, He isolates us to hone our spiritual gifts.   Every person has special gifts that God planted in them right from birth.   These gifts are unique per person and help each person live a more fulfilled life in Christ.   Nonetheless, most people don't even know they have these gifts;  some have buried them without realizing it. Because we're God's treasure, He isolates us to refine and nourish our spiritual gifts.   As our dear departed Sister Claudine Watkins beautifully expressed,  “It’s impossible for God to give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there.  There is no such thing.”   

Honing these gifts in solitude makes us better prepared to use them to edify God's Kingdom.   Remember the words of  Isaiah 30:15:  "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:  In repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."    

While isolated, gifts such as prophecy, healing, teaching and intercession become honed and strengthened.   Also, during isolation, God opens our eyes to understand deep spiritual mysteries.   As we encounter Him, our spiritual vision and understanding become sharpened.   This way, our identity in Christ becomes clearer.   We're equipped to withstand adversities and remain steadfast in the faith.   When fear and confusion gripped the Prophet Elijah, he became frustrated and God isolated him in the wilderness for a certain period. Within this time, God revealed things to him and strengthened him for the assignment ahead.  (See 1 Kings 19)

Third, God isolates us as His chosen ones to detach us from attachments to the world so He can prepare us for greatness.   The devil knows how the human mind functions.  This makes it easier for him to lure many people to himself, and the things of this world are such that when we get entangled in them, it becomes difficult to come out, and before we realize it, the devil takes over.   But because God loves us, He'll never allow us to reach that point if we continue to trust Him.   

This is why He isolates us;  to detach us from worldly desires and wrong attachments.  He removes external distractions from our lives so we can focus and discover true contentment in our relationship with Him.   Such detachment enables us to fully surrender our life, desires and ambitions to His divine will.   Remember how Jesus Christ isolated Himself in the wilderness for 40 days.   That was a medium to retreat and recharge for ministry.   Similarly, God uses these seasons to equip us with the necessary skills, wisdom and understanding for our unique calling.   Have you ever noticed that no one knows how bad they are until they have tried very hard to be good?   Isolation periods are vital for spiritual and personal development.

Fourth, another reason why God isolates us is to strengthen our dependency on Him and pioneer spiritual revival.   We're more likely to depend on God when we're isolated and have nowhere to turn to.   You know, some Christians can be very hard-headed; they ignore God and continue moving until they reach a point where they have no choice but to turn to Him for help.   Because of this, God decides to isolate us for a while to teach us to always depend on Him.   The moment it feels like you're alone and no one seems to care about you, when all the people you take to be your only hope and support begin to turn deaf ears to your cry, it becomes easier to acknowledge your weaknesses and limitations.   At this point, it becomes clearer that your ultimate strength resides in dependence on our Heavenly Father.   As we surrender and depend more on Him, He quickens our spirit and initiates spiritual revival for the purpose of His Kingdom.

Fifth, we experience isolation because God wants our testimony to encourage others. Many people in this generation still find it difficult to believe that God can do certain things.   When you try to tell them about God's miraculous works, they keep asking why they haven't seen it happen to them or someone close to them.   Don't get angry when God uses you to prove His marvelous works. When they doubt like the Apostle Thomas to witness how God has helped them navigate the challenges and reap the rewards of isolation, others will be more encouraged to trust God's process.   Let your experience serve as a beacon of hope so that it will prove the incredible, transformative power of God's purposeful isolation.

While isolation can feel arduous and lonely, God is always intentional and strategic about isolating His chosen ones.   Hold on to God, no matter how difficult and challenging it might be.   It is not that we are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us;  we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be. Psalm 46:10 says,  “Be still and know that I am God;  I will be exalted among the nations;  I will be exalted in the earth.”   As God's chosen people, embracing these reasons allows us to align with His divine purpose and fulfill our destiny. However, this can only be possible if we respond positively in our isolation season.   

And so, how can we ensure this?   First, we must trust in His divine wisdom and timing. The moment we notice that God is isolating us, don't be in a hurry to get it over and done with.   Be patient; it's not going to last forever.   It might last up to five months, a year, or two, but always remember that God created the times and seasons.  He has it all in His hands and will turn it to any direction He pleases.   His wisdom surpasses every human wisdom, so when He acts or says a thing, believe and do it with the consciousness that, in the same way, seasons don't last forever and your isolation will end when its purpose finds fulfillment.   And when it does, you'll look back and thank God for taking you through it.

Seek His presence in prayer, worship and study His Word.   These three things should be part of your life as a believer as they are vital to your relationship with God.   Our spirit man will become better groomed when these three increase together, none being more important than the other.   The Bible says God seeks true worshippers to worship Him in spirit and in truth.   It also says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Similarly, the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword.  

But do not forget prayer.   The Apostle Paul admonished that you should always pray without ceasing.   As you pray, ask Him to give you divine wisdom to navigate this phase of your life.   Don't forget He said if you lack wisdom, you should ask, and He'll give it to you.   God never lies, nor does He fail; His words are yes and amen. That is the confidence you should hold on to that it must come to pass whenever He says anything.   So, when God isolates you, you must be consistent, diligent and faithful with all these three things, then your journey will become smoother and easier.

You must focus on the eternal perspective of your current situation as there is more to isolation than physical separation.   When you focus on what God has taken away from you or the people He has separated you from it'll be more difficult to focus on what God wants you to achieve.   You won't be able to see beyond the inconvenience, but if your mind is on the purpose of your isolation, you'll focus better.   The Apostle Paul, speaking in  Philippians 3:13-15  said,  "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.   I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.   Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:  and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."   This is the confession of someone who understands the assignment.   No wonder the Apostle Paul's relationship with God blossomed.   This should also be our heart's desire from now on.

Finally, we must surrender our plans and desires to God.   Lay it all at His feet because no matter how excellent our plans are, only the Lord's plans will prevail. So, submit them all to Him in humility and allow Him to align them with His will. We won't struggle to obey Him when aligned with His will.   Joseph, David and the Apostle Paul, among others, submitted to God;  they gave God the free will to do with them whatever He pleased, and their lives were undoubtedly transformed to God's glory.   Wouldn't you want this to be your story?    Dear child of God, realize that being so intentional about us is the reason He has revealed these things to us today.   He doesn't want us to continue living and experiencing different isolation seasons without an impact.   

Now that we know why we must experience isolation, as long as God chooses us, we must also know that if we ignore or reject God's call to isolation, we'll face the consequences.   Our spiritual life will be at the receiving end, and we won't enjoy God's benefits for them that He chooses.   When we continue to fight the will of God for our lives, we're inviting His wrath on ourselves.   We're on the path to destruction when He takes His hand off.   Do you remember God's negative remark about Ephraim?   He said, "Ephraim has joined himself to idols; let him alone."  (Hosea 4:17)   Don’t let this be God's testimony about you, dear friend.

Remember, we're a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.   We're unique, special to God, and that is why He has called us out of the darkness into His marvelous light.   Not so that you can live life to the fullest in earthly terms, but for you to live life more abundantly in spiritual terms and proclaim His good deeds.   It's not because we're better than others that He chose us.   Out of the many He has called us, His love and grace has singled us out.   This is why His purpose for our life is unique, and for this reason He is conscious about grooming us for the task ahead.   He wants us to be refined, better, strengthened and equipped for every good work.   

So, when we're in our season of isolation, don't listen to what people are saying to discourage you.   The truth remains that nobody wants our progress more than God does.   So, in all that we do, let God's opinion about us precede all others, and let Him always have the final say in your life.   When we do all these, our life will become a shining light that'll inspire others to walk in faith, trust and hope, bringing glory to our Father in heaven.