He turned the desert into pools of
water
and the parched ground into flowing springs.
and the parched ground into flowing springs.
Psalm 107:35
THOUGHTS ~
Dry,
dusty desert experiences seem to be felt by all Christians at one time or
another. When in one of these patches over a decade ago, I felt far away from the
Lord, hopeless and my joy was totally limp. I wondered why and couldn’t figure
it out. I just knew I felt a great distance from the Lord. Of course, I knew
God didn’t move; I did. I took a few steps away from Him. And the few steps
became greater distances until I found myself in a lonely desert experience.
Usually
the reason we feel distance is that the enemy of God, the enemy of our soul,
has pulled us ever so slightly away: enticing us to take our eyes off of the
Lord and onto life’s various details. The enemy isn’t dramatic about it and it
happens without you even knowing it has occurred . . . until all at once, you
feel stranded in an island of dry sand, parched for God’s love and His word.
The
great news is God will never leave you stranded in the dry desert. He doesn’t
want us there anymore than we want to be there. He uses these times in our
lives to remind us how important it is to put Him first. And in my case, my
faith was made stronger because after experiencing life without a constant daily
connection with the Lord, I knew I never wanted to return to that emptiness.
ACTIONS
~
When you
find yourself in a desert experience:
First
ask the Lord to help you find your way out of it. (He will).
Second,
set aside time for meaningful alone time with Him. A few hours, a day, a
weekend, whatever is feasible for you. Turn off the noise makers in your home,
sit quietly in a place that you are comfortable, and open His Word to feed your
dry soul. Try Psalm 40. (Bring Kleenex).
Third,
be honest with God: tell Him you need His refreshment in your heart.
Fourth,
begin setting aside a daily quiet time with the most important person in your
life: Jesus. Read His word intently and listen for His whispers of love and
encouragement.
I
will promise you this: when you are spending time with God, just you and Him
time, you will experience peace, contentment and joy that is indescribable.
Just like the flowing spring in Psalm 107.
PRAYER ~
Thank
You Father, for giving us a way out of the desert and into the lushness of
fellowship with You.
Trusting
in the Lord,
Becky
[Photo by Kelli Emmons, used with permission)
