FaithWear Ministry Scroll- January 21, 2026

 In Eden, before humanity ever faced a storm in the world, the first storm rose inside the human mind. God had given Adam and Eve a clear instruction: “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” (Genesis 2:16–17). The boundary was simple, but the serpent entered through the only place he could reach — their thoughts. He did not begin with a lie; he began with a half‑truth, denying part of God’s word and twisting the other part into bait: “You will not surely die… your eyes will be opened” (Genesis 3:4–5). He stirred the inner fortress — the place where desire, reasoning, and will converge — and once that fortress moved, her whole being followed. Eve saw what he wanted her to see: that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom (Genesis 3:6).

But sin had not yet entered — only free will was at work. Adam and Eve were not ignorant of God’s command. They chose. Eve allowed her perception to rise above the word God had spoken. Adam followed her into the same disobedience. Free will paved the way. They were not forced, trapped, or deceived beyond understanding. They moved by choice. And through that choice, sin entered. The wilderness within opened the door long before the act was committed. By our free will we move; by our free will we choose which path to walk. By our free will we choose whether we become servants of what stirs us in the realm of the flesh, or whether we become overcome in the strength of God. Free will is the gate of obedience or disobedience, the doorway through which every storm either rises or is stilled.

Generations later, the wilderness within rose again in the life of Saul. His downfall did not begin with the Philistines or with David. It began with the inner storm he never surrendered — fear of people, insecurity, impatience, and the need to preserve his image. When God told him to wait for Samuel at Gilgal, Saul saw the army scattering, the Philistines gathering, and Samuel delaying. He acted from fear and offered the sacrifice himself (1 Samuel 13:8–12). Samuel said, “You have done foolishly. Your kingdom shall not continue” (1 Samuel 13:13–14). Later, when God commanded him to destroy Amalek completely, Saul spared King Agag and kept the best animals (1 Samuel 15:9). He justified his disobedience with religious language, but Samuel cut through every excuse: “To obey is better than sacrifice… Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king” (1 Samuel 15:22–23). And when God no longer answered him, Saul sought a medium — violating God’s law (Deuteronomy 18:10–12; 1 Samuel 28:7). Saul was not dethroned by David. He was dethroned by disobedience. His wilderness ruled him, and his throne fell under the weight of an unyielded heart.

David entered not because he was flawless, but because of the posture of his heart. Scripture does not hide his sin. When he saw Bathsheba, desire rose within him, and he acted on it (2 Samuel 11:2–4). He took another man’s wife and tried to cover it. David’s wilderness was exposed — the wilderness of desire, impulse, and the misuse of authority. But here is the difference: David sinned, but he did not stay in his sin. Every time God confronted him, he returned. Every time God revealed his wrongdoing, he repented. When Nathan spoke, David said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). No excuses. No deflection. No resistance. This posture — not perfection — is what grounded him. This posture protected him. This posture kept him in the presence of God even when his actions had led him far from it.

Discern, therefore, where you are standing, and learn to wield your free will in obedience. Follow the guiding voice — the one that tells you what is right from what is wrong. Become, in Christ, a conqueror of your own wilderness. Train yourself as soldiers train before entering the battlefield of every war. Train your free will toward obedience and toward the heart of God. Deny every trace of the carnal self within you, and let the glory of Christ manifest through a life surrendered. “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Benediction

May the Lord anchor your heart in His truth.

May His Spirit strengthen your will toward obedience.

May His light expose every hidden storm within you.

May His mercy restore you each time you return.

And may the peace of Christ guard your mind and guide your steps,

until your wilderness becomes a place of victory,

and your life bears the fruit of His glory.