The Desert Place

There are times in our lives that God takes us to a desert place.
He does it so we have time alone with Him,
free from the distractions of normal living.

After the disciples had been on a successful missions trip,
Jesus took them to the desert.
But the multitudes followed them there
and He had compassion on them
and taught them
and then fed them miraculously
with just a few loaves and fishes.

John the Forerunner grew up in the desert
before he began his ministry as John the Baptist.

Jesus, after He was baptized,
went into the wilderness where He fasted
40 days and then was tempted of the devil.
He returned to civilization full of power
and full of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah prophesied that there would be
roadways in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
God said that He would do something new among us.

Sometimes,
we don't recognize the desert for what it is.
We think we are depressed and we try to find a way of escape
from the overwhelming sense that nothing really matters.

But maybe, it's not depression.
Maybe it's the desert place.
Maybe God has wooed us into the wilderness
so He could love us without the competition
of happiness and satisfaction.

Maybe we feel like nothing really matters anymore
because nothing really does matter anymore.

Not a thing matters but Him.
Can I see His face?
Can I hear His words?
Does His heart beat in my heart?
Do my eyes see what He sees?
Do I know that He loves me?
Does He know that I love Him?

In the desert,
everything comes from His hand.

He withholds the comfort and friendship of man
so I can receive comfort and friendship from Him.
He tenderly holds my head and feeds me
with His bread and wine.

He who had no one to watch and pray
with Him for one hour
watches and prays over me every single
minute of every day.
In the desert,
I am aware of this.

In the desert, my wounder becomes my healer
and I am captured by the severity of His mercy.

If I should come out of the desert tomorrow,
I will be content.
But I want to be full of Him
when I come out.

Should I stay longer,
I will be content as well.
For He is with me
and is accomplishing
some deep work in me
too high for me
to comprehend.

Sometimes,
He goes out of the desert to the multitude,
and sometimes,
the multitude comes to Him
in the desert.

Either way,
other people will be affected by my time in the desert.
God and I will either go out to them
or they will come in to us.

There will be a roadway in the wilderness
and streams in the desert
and out this dry place shall flow rivers of living water.

Behold,
He will do something new.