Desert
At some point in our lives, we will find ourselves in the desert. A place of heat and barrenness. We're talking about the Mojave or Sahara in July, not Palm Springs.
The word desert is the Hebrew word "midbar" which comes from the root word "dabar" meaning "to speak."
The Lord speaks to us in those desert places. It's where everything we rely upon for comfort is stripped from us. Things we thought we needed but realized we didn't. Things that may have kept us from hearing God speak.
Deserts aren't comfortable. But deserts can be very educational. Not all of our deserts are the same. For some, it might look like caring for a loved one for a long time. For others, it might be dealing with an extended illness. Or perhaps financial challenge. Or a season of no writing productivity. Maybe a season of depression. A divorce, death of a spouse, a season of one rejection after another where you can't seem to win for losing. Maybe moving to an area where you don't know anyone.
Deuteronomy 32:10-12
Where is God when we find ourselves in a desert? Initially, we feel alone, forgotten, and vulnerable.
What if we placed our own names there in verse 10?
God does 4 things when He places us in a desert:
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He surrounds us
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He watches over us
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He guards us (like the pupil of His eye)
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He guides us (He alone)
Moses was a man acquainted with the desert. Interesting that the Lord put Moses in a desert for 40 years before putting him in another desert as the leader of God's people where they wandered for 40 years.
Deuteronomy 8:2-5 - We learn what we're truly made of in the desert. The Lord doesn't place us in the desert to ruin us. He does it to refine us.
Moses went from being advanced in hieroglyphics and Egyptian sciences, one of Pharaoh's elect to tending sheep in an obscure part of the desert. Talk about humility 101!
Each of our deserts will look a little different but serve the same purpose of humbling & refining us to be more effective Kingdom writers.
Resources:
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