September, 2000 "A Dry and Thirsty Land"

September 2000

DESERT (noun) 1. an uncultivated region without inhabitants; wilderness 2. a dry, barren, sandy region naturally incapable of supporting almost any life. (Webster)

This is where my husband and I now live - in the desert!!! The middle of the summer is probably not the best time to relocate from the verdant, flourishing, green, lush and thriving landscape of the Midwest to the hot, brown and dry Arizona desert. But here we are at God's leading!!!

Since this is the place of my birth, the place of my heritage and anointing, I was very excited to return. I thought I was prepared for the shock of the climate change. I was wrong!!! The day my car thermometer hit 116 degrees I asked God, "Are you sure you want us here?"

Of course we all know the many people in the Bible who lived and learned vital spiritual lessons in the desert. Moses spent 40 years there before God spoke to him from a burning bush to lead God's people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. (Exodus 2 & 3)

He led the Israelites through the desert to this promised land, but because of their unbelief the whole nation ended up spending 40 years wandering in the desert. The Lord humbled them and caused them to hunger and thirst, in order to teach them to live on the Word of God. It was only after the older generation died, except Joshua and Caleb who were two faithful servants of God, that their children were able to enter the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 8)

Jesus, Himself, spent 40 days in the desert. When He was baptized, the Heavens opened and God spoke a blessing upon Him as His Son, who was well-pleasing. Following this He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan. (Mark 1:13 & Matthew 4:10)

I believe there is a desert/wilderness principle that applies to all of us who desire to follow God. There will be spiritual desert times in the wilderness. Our souls will become thirsty and in need of a drink of Jesus, the Living Water.

After I looked up the definition of desert, I thought maybe I needed to see some synonyms as well. It is not a "pretty picture" but I am sure we can all relate: barren, wasteland, desolate, forsaken, uninhabited, infertile, fruitless, unproductive.

Have you ever felt any of these things about your life or circumstances? Though you may never have been in a literal desert, I believe we all have these kinds of times within our soul. We cry out to be filled with something that will cool and refresh us. We go searching for this something and find ourselves moving from pool to pool to pool of water only to find one after the other leaving a bitter taste - leaving us unsatisfied.

What is the lesson we need to learn in our spiritual desert? I believe the Lord wants to teach us that He is the only way to satisfy our thirst. He wants us to seek Him alone - to come and drink deeply at the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3) To drink of Him and His love and His provision for us.

The Lord doesn't promise to change our circumstances. Yes, He can and does at times, but His promise is to satisfy us in the midst of the desert - to miraculously bring streams in to the desert places. Jesus said you are blessed if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, and He promises that you will be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

You see, God is a jealous God. He is jealous for you and for your love and affection. He knows that whatever else you seek to satisfy yourself with will not last. Jesus said in John 4:13-15 as He was speaking to the woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The author of Psalm 42 understood this. He had been in a dry and thirsty land and he knew only God could satisfy. He said, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you, O God." Yes, sometimes God allows life's circumstances to create a deep longing in our hearts so that we will cry out to Him.

Are you in the midst of painful circumstances? Frustrating relationships? In desperate financial need? Have you tried all the medical avenues and find the only thing that will help is a miracle? Does your soul cry out to be free from an addiction, a habit of sin?

Do not despair. God says He will have compassion on you and will guide you and lead you beside springs of water. (Isaiah 49:19) If you will come to Him and follow Him and give Him your life, "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." (Isaiah 58:11)

Oh what a beautiful picture! I can almost feel the cool refreshing water and smell the fragrance of flowers. And oh, how revitalizing that thought is here in the midst of the hot, summer Arizona desert. What a great promise to the desert of our soul! God is our oasis and He can make us an oasis for others.

I would like to suggest that you do a little Bible study on your own right now and meditate on the wonderful scriptures regarding the refreshing waters of the Lord.

Here is a list to help you get started. If you don't have a Bible, go to the "Links" section of this web page and click on the Bible Gateway. From there you can read the following scriptures.

And remember, be blessed, drink deeply of Him and His love and have fun!!!

Exodus 2 & 3 Mark 1:13 Psalm 42 Isaiah 32 Isaiah 41:17-20 Isaiah 49:19 John 7:37-39

Deuteronomy 8 Matthew 4:10 Isaiah 12:3 Isaiah 35 Isaiah 43:20 Isaiah 58:11 Revelation 22:1

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