Photo by Ryan Cheng on Unsplash
Observation: If you have spent any time in the desert you know it can be a harsh place. I’ve spent time in the blistering heat of the desert and in the wind pelting me with snow and ice. Resources are scarce and it seems like there’s nothing but death. Like in the movies, the camera pans across the bleached bones of an animal or wayward traveler. But cacti store water, animals find shelter, and there is beauty to the landscape. If you find an opportunity to spend the night, the stars will draw from deep within, awe. Life finds a way to thrive even in the desert. It depends on how close you look. There are also wilderness seasons in our lives. We struggle amid uncertainty, our hope fades as our resources wane.
Reflection: The Bible is filled with wilderness wandering stories. For the Israelites bread fell from the sky, water gushed from a rock, and God provided in the desert. In our wilderness God wants us to trust His ability to provide. In the heat and drought, we learn to depend on Him and provision is more than physical. Our spirits are sustained as we realize how our needs have been fulfilled.
Challenge: Is there a place or time you have felt like you were wandering the desert? A financial, relational, or professional place of roaming and waiting? It’s a challenge to trust that the provision will come, he will never leave or forsake you. Is there a small step of faith, a word of gratitude, or a glimmer of hope in the middle of the darkness? Look for signs that there is an opportunity on the road.
Scripture: “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11 ESV)