Wilderness
What do we do when we feel like we’re in a wilderness?
by Kathy Bailey
There are times when we find ourselves in a spiritual “dry” spell. No rhyme or reason to it, just something that happens to us all. Some of us call it “depression,” others of us just are tired and uninspired.
Sometimes it is like slogging alone through the desert under a hot sun, nothing to drink or eat, not even knowing at times what it is we need. We just know that we need SOMEthing.
Sometimes in those times we forget to pray, or we are too discouraged to pray, but TAKE HEART! The desert experience is actually a POSITIVE thing!
When I am in the desert, feeling spiritually dead, God is watching over me EVEN MORE:
Deuteronomy 32:10 — “He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. When I am in that “desert place” and nearly defenseless, God is protecting me, ready to do battle with anyone or anything that may do me harm.
Joshua 8:14 — It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that {there was} an ambush against him behind the city. The Devil is at the ready when I hit these times in my life; I need to be extra vigilant and keep God close at hand, using the tools He has given me, such as the Bible, close friends, worship, and prayer.
Luke 4:1-2 — Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. We are to prepare a way for God to pass through our desert, which we can do by “making smooth”. We do this by resting in Him, by knowing that God is in control and has our best interests at heart. We can also “make smooth” by remedying any wrongs that we may have done, through confession or by making amends.
Isaiah 40:3 — A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. With God, all will be made new, alive, fresh as the morning. In other words, tremendous spiritual growth can happen in the midst of our dry desert. I have found this to be especially true for me.
Isaiah 43:19 — “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. We can look forward to a period of richness and EXTREME joy if we rest in the knowledge that “this too shall pass”. God is with us.
Isaiah 51:3 — Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.
We can praise God in our desert storms!
So there you have it. We can praise God in our “desert storms”! We are not alone, we are protected, we are vigilant, we prepare, we are be reborn, and we REJOICE!
And when others wonder about the sparkle in our eyes and the spring in our step, we are more than happy to give God the glory!
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. (1 Peter 3:15)