Wilderness Water

Is. 43:18-19 " Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

This has been my "cling-to" verse lately. In many ways, I would label the past few months as a wilderness for me. Having Jesus Christ as my Savior definitely changes everyday life, but I find that it didn't necessarily change my location. (btw, today is our two-week anniversary! I LOVE being saved!)

What comes to mind when you think of a wilderness? Growing up in Tacna, it's easy for me to imagine the sand, lack of vegetation, harsh sun reflecting off the dunes, cloudless sky, and intense heat. Heat, hunger, thirst, loneliness, depression, fear, wild animals, despair... these are all words that come to mind when I picture a "wilderness".

I believe that each person has their wilderness seasons in life. For some, the wilderness is extreme and daunting. For others, the wilderness may be a comparatively small change in their life that feels overwhelming. Being totally open with you, my wilderness is being away from home. For me, home is Tacna and home is my family. My lowest points lately have been moments where my longing to see them seems almost impossible to manage.

Being able to visualize a wilderness and identifying with that place, I find comfort in Psalm 63. David finds himself in a wilderness as a result of God's direct command. What God would purposefully guide His child to a place of solitude, a place removed from society, a place where food and water is scarce?! A God that loves His child beyond comprehension... that's Who!

Verse 1 gives me reason to pause and mediate on several different points. If you find yourself in a wilderness, wondering how you got there, desperate to how long you'll stay, and frantic to get out... take a moment to walk through this verse with me.

Oh, God... Who is your God? How powerful is He? How loving is He? What has He done for You? How would life be different if He wasn't Holy, Just, or Righteous?

Now that we understand Who we're talking about, let's take it deeper.

My God... IS He your God? Dust off the memories of your salvation. How did He pursue you? How miraculous is it that YOU were saved by Him?!

Early will I seek Thee... Yes, you can seek Him early in the day. In fact, I prefer morning Bible reading over evening study. But, how about... early in the path leading to worry? Or, early in the process of decision making? Are you waiting till you exhaust your own strength before turning to Him?

My soul thirsteth, my flesh longeth...in a dry and thirsty land where no water is...You have needs. There is nothing wrong with facing that and owning it. In fact, you have constant needs! You have needs that even when they're met will again become needs shortly! The wilderness only amplifies your humanity and neediness. I mean, city life is easy. If you're thirsty, just pour yourself a glass of water and it's done! In the wilderness, God has to provide every need. Don't resent your needs, admit to having them! And guess what, my friend? This world has NOTHING you need. Nope. Nada. So, I mean, you could wander over to THEIR wilderness and poke around their cactus, but you'll discover they have no water. They only have fancy neon signs and lots of false advertisement.

for THEE... What are you begging God for? Answers? Solutions? Direction? Provision? Power? Oh... don't miss this! HE is the Water! He is the reason you're here! The only thing that will satisfy is more of Him! David understood! He and his band of outcast men were sent to the wilderness by the hand of God. Far removed from family, opportunities to become famous, the chance to make money, and even the means to met his own needs, David realized that the only One that would really suffice was God.

David was anointed to be King. The logical place for his dream and calling to be fulfilled was somewhere kinda near a palace, right? Yet, God Almighty directed him to a wilderness. There is something to be said about God's plans. It was there, in that wilderness, that David learned that the way to having every need met was the way leading to God's heart. David was given rivers in the desert, spiritual rivers flowing from the Water of Life.