IN THE DESERT

If you have ever been to the desert, you can testify to the stark bleakness of the terrain.  It seems to go on forever.  No visible water, sand and sand dunes as far as the eye can see, no sign of life, and the sun bearing down from a cloudless sky.  The only hope of the day is the sinking of the sun.  As your wish is slowly granted at the end of the day, the ensuing dark brings the cold from which there is no hiding place.  Who wants to be stuck in the desert?  




Our lives can find us stuck in the bleakness of trouble--death, illness, betrayal, calamities we never imagined we would suffer.  As we wander through those periods of devastation, we beg for an oasis in the agony of our suffering.  A quenching cool drink to abate the dryness of our sorrow.  The sands of sorrow stretch out endlessly before us, and we see no escape from wandering in the bleak days of despair.



As we wander the virtual desert of hopelessness, we can catch a glimpse of the oasis of who God is.  During the worst of times, God is most visible, most present, and we begin to understand His true nature.  God reminds us he is there to guide us, stand beside us, and hold us on the darkest of days in a manner we would never see in the sunshine of contentment.  The beauty of the worst can bring the surrender of our will, and cry of desperation to The Faithful One--who will sustain us as we flounder in despondency.  God is with us--always--but we are most keenly aware of His presence in the desert times of this life.

I am thankful for my walks in the desert.  I m thankful for the revelation of who He is---what He is like---and a glimpse at the changeless attributes of God as He carries me across the desert path.  

In my sorrow, I praise Him.
In my grief, I look to Him.
In my despair, I cry to Him.
In my darkest hour, He is present.

I am thankful for the lonely, heart wrenching, desperate walks through the desert--as He reveals the deep, soul quenching, heart filling hope of His love-


I am thankful.

I cared for you in the wilderness, In the land of drought
Hosea 13:5

2 comments

  1. This is wonderful, Lulu. Thank you for your insight.

    Indeed, we all go through periods when everything seems to go wrong in our lives and we need the oasis of God's presence. Thankfully, He is only but a prayer away; and Christ is always walking by our side, eager to help, if we let Him.

    I like you poem at the end. Speaks to me.

    Now I know you expect something humourous from me. For a change; here is something really profound.

    Did you know that the dogs of the desert walk faster than tame dogs because the trees are further apart?

    Also, I read somewhere that there are more stars and planets in the universe than all the grains of sand in all the deserts on earth. Imagine that!

    I was in the desert once; so I counted grains of sand. I gave up when I reached 65; so I guess there are more than 65 stars in the universe.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am thankful you are dependable to give me my first chuckle of the day, Victor!
      Blessings !

      Delete

Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!