Lent - A desert journey
Lent is a time for reflection. It`s a time during which we take stock and check how we are impacting the world as believers in Christ. In this 40-day Lent period we will be going on a journey, heading towards Easter week, Jerusalem and the Cross. Many Bible characters are familiar with the physical desert as like Abram they journeyed across the land in obedience, traversed it for 40 years with Moses, hid in it like Elijah and David escaping from others, sort God and met Him there. Jesus felt compelled to go to the desert to prepare for his ministry and we can to, though it not be a physical desert.
The physical conditions speak of a spiritual parallel of dry and
barren periods of spiritual experience. So what is the value of
the desert? They are periods where Spiritual growth can take
place. It may not be a comfortable journey, as we head into
the desert wilderness, but with eyes and ears open we can
hear the whispers and encouraging sights to lead us forward..
Come, join us as we reach into the refining desert.....
Judean Desert
Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Posted below are 40 reflections which can be used each day, or for a period of days. In each there will be a thought, Bible verses, a couple of questions to direct your reflection and a direction for prayer. We are on this journey together, but everyone has eyes to see different things, so make it your own. If you wish to share, feel free to contact and share your reflections.
For those who like a map of the journey this is roughly a weekly guide:
Week 1 - Preparing for the journey Week 4 - Oasis
Week 2 - Jesus` Temptations Week 5 - Hope from the desert
Week 3 - Negotiating the Terrain Week 6 - Leaving the desert
1 Leaving town
"Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place" Mark 1:35
Sunrise - Gobi Desert, Mongolia
We need to leave behind the business, distraction, and routine of our normal lives before commencing the journey. At times we find ourselves in a desert, a barren, spiritual low place but here we choose to enter as a pilgrim to seek God`s face. For the time you have allocated to this journey, put aside any concerns and seek God. Receive and declare these verse truths and use Psalm 63:1 as a prayer:
Be still and know
that I am God
Psalm 46:10
From everlasting to everlasting
you are God
Psalm 90:2
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O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1
As we leave the clamour of the city, the quiet of the desert creeps out to meet us. In the distance see the bleached sand or rock of the wilderness stretching in front of us.
Lush green vegetation disappears to be replaced with
scrub bushes.....
Questions to aid Reflection
What does the approaching desert look like? What support structures from the city are you concerned about losing? What have you with you that is necessity for life? How do you feel about the journey ahead?
Throughout the biblical story, God uses the desert as a place of transformation. It is a place of calling, where God’s plans become solidified and made clear. Think of Moses. Think of Elijah. Think of Jesus, emerging from the waters of baptism, only to be driven (compelled) into the desert. If we look hard at our own lives, we can see how the desert places can bring us closer to God. They help us understand the necessity of having meaningful relationships with Him and others. They hopefully remind us of what it means to be living part of a community of faith for companionship on the journey. The relative quiet or silence of the desert is such a contrast to our daily lives, that what initially can feel uncomfortable becomes a joy and strength as we tune in to His whisper and submit to what He is doing at a deeper level.
Prayer
Loving God, you give us forty days to journey into the inner deserts of our heart. Let this journey be a time when we seek and find you.
Make this time a time to give all that we have without counting the cost.
On a journey
"At once the Spirit sent him out into
the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him."
Mark 1:12-13
2
Experts tell us that it takes certain meteorological and climatic conditions to form a desert. Maps show that 30% of the land is covered by desert with daytime temperatures 55^C (131^F) in the shade dropping to freezing at night as the desert floor radiates the heat back to the atmosphere. The worlds largest sand desert is the Sahara in North Africa, covering an area of more than 3,500,000 square miles. Strange as it may seem, what we picture in our mind`s eye can be challenged as the largest desert can be found in Antarctica!
Are you prepared to be challenged?
Some of the harshest deserts aren’t marked on maps, but lie close by. We all know there are emotional and spiritual deserts. Times when we feel lost or times when we are thirsty or hungry for God. Times like during the present pandemic where we can’t meet up with friends, or we are not well, or we feel isolated, worried or anxious. Sometimes we end up in the desert because we take a wrong turn or make a mistake. Or maybe we thought it would be an adventure to cross a desert but it wasn’t quite what we expected. Wherever we live, or how far we travel, or how green the grass of our daily lives, sometimes the desert is all that we know. Sometimes, despite what the weather report indicates we find ourselves right in the middle of the desert - blind, disoriented, burnt, and dying. Sometimes, the desert feels so familiar, that we can name each shrivelled plant, every animal, every irritating little grain of sand. and the sapping heat. Sometimes, the wilderness can feel very familiar.
Each of us has experienced the desert at some time in our lives. Maybe even right now. Now you are there what are you going to do? What might God be suggesting.
Think of people battling physical or emotional illness, unsure what the future looks like, and afraid. Think of people who are the outcasts of society – the poor, the sick, those in prison, those whose lives are considered less worthy by those around them.
Deserts are everywhere, but there is something else we need to know about deserts… something Matthew, Mark and Luke want us to hear.
Jesus has been there first. That is the good news at the commencement of the Gospels. No desert on earth is so remote, or so barren, or so lifeless that Jesus hasn’t walked there..
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses." Hebrews 4:15
Questions to aid Reflection
What have you taken in to the desert? You might start by saying ‘ I went into the desert and I took wrong Attitudes, wrong Beliefs, wrong Causes, wrong Decisions….. For each of us the list will be different and it may not be alphabetical! Ask God
to show you 3 things that you might be carrying with you and that God wants to replace with something beautiful.
The desert place challenges our priorities - what are yours right now? Can you ask God how appropriate they are and to
guide you?
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Prayer
Lord, help us to detach ourselves from the busyness of daily life and listen to You, - Lord, create a new Spirit in us.
Help us to know we go nowhere that you don`t already know about and have travelled before us. - Lord, create a new
Spirit in us. Help us to be open to the Word of God, allow our hearts to be transformed, and be enlightened by its wisdom - Lord, create a new Spirit in us
3 Essentials
Travelling light is important when traversing the desert. Away from our comfort
zones survival requires planning. What is vital to carry compared to our desire?
We do have a responsibility for our own needs in a hostile territory. where the
usual infrastructure is unavailable. Sound familiar this past year? Just as water and food supply needs to be carried, our expectation of a mobile signal can be dashed !
In the desert, we learn what is necessary for life: food, water, and faithful companionship.
In the spiritual desert we learn what is truly necessary for our spiritual well being: the Bread of Life, the one who gives Living water, and
His companionship at our side
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord,
who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16: 6-8
Questions to aid Reflection
Note the things, structures, activity you find hard to let go of.
It may be a mind-set or expectation.
What would make you sad like the Rich Young Ruler
(Matthew 19:21-22) if Jesus asked you to give it up?
Where does your treasure lie?
What provision do you need to trust God more for?
In Prayer give thanks for the privilege and gifts you have, and ask God`s help to hold lightly to them. There may be things that have a grip on your life that you need to release if God asks you.
Judean Wilderness
4 Preparation
Before entering the desert, some preparations are required to survive. Spiritually we have a responsibility to ensure we are walking with God. Keeping in step with Him. God is vibrant, always moving - that`s why we are called to follow!
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Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit
Galatians 5:25
A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God."
Isaiah 40:3
Just as preparation and fore-thought to survive when travelling in a desert is required,
so spiritually we can think of the equivalent needs. Below are 3 to get you started.
How about thinking of others, and talk to your guide, Jesus, what are essential for your journey.
Reflect
Become aware of what you are wearing: Where do you find your nourishment? Where do you seek rest?
As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with
each other and forgive one another if any of
you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14
Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me
will never be thirsty.
John 6:35
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Prayer: For wisdom that God will lead to true freedom of spirit and inspire our choices as we face trials and temptations.
- Lord, create a new spirit in us.
Forget the former things; do not dwell on
the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; Do you not perceive it? I am
making a way in the desert……
Isaiah 43: 18-19
5 New Experiences
What picture comes into your imagination as you hear the word ‘desert’? A barren landscape with lots of sand blowing around? A dead place? Confusion as there’s no clear pathway? Recognition that a guide is needed? Freedom? Space?
There are times in our lives when we have ‘desert experiences’. They sometimes arrive very quickly and there’s little opportunity to make preparations. We find ourselves in a place that seems empty, lonely, with little hope to encourage us to move on. We remember better times and wonder how we arrived here.
Dune 6, Sossusvlei, Namib Desert
At these times we want someone who knows the way forward to safety, someone we trust who knows what help we need to arrive at the other side. God says: ‘Put your hand in mine‘. I am making a way in the desert. Don’t try to retrace your steps to the past because I am doing a new thing.’ Our Heavenly Father takes pleasure in renewal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we
have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built
by human hands.
2 Corinthians 5:1
I am making everything new! Revelation 21:5
Reflect and Pray
Where do you find it easiest to find God and spend time with Him?
Can you think of times when God has met you in the desert and shown you something new which has sprung up? Give thanks.
Are you in the desert now? Trust Him as you put your hand in His and allow Him to guide you and show you new things.
6 Meet your Guide
I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. Hosea 2:14
Wadi Qelt Jerusalem to Jericho
The Lord`s prayer teaches us to pray that the temptation does not take us in. Today we will stand before innumerable temptations. That’s what life is: endless choices between belief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience, action and non-action.
The desert was a place where, according to the prophet Hosea, God lured Israel in order to speak tenderly to her (Hosea 2:14) It is in the desert where we meet God. But the desert is also a place of testing: it was in the desert, God tells his people, that their ancestors tested Him (Psalm 95:9). Israel was in the desert for forty years (Deuteronomy 8:2); Jesus was in the desert for forty days.
God brings us into the presence of many tests and temptations
A person's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone
understand their own way? Proverbs 20:24
In the Lord’s prayer we seek God`s will and for sovereign guidance.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
It teaches us to pray that the temptation does not take us in.
v13. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Prayer
Mighty God, forbid that we would give in to temptation Hold us back from stepping inside the temptation. Be merciful in our weakness.
Reflection
What helps you to resist temptations?
What helps you avoid temptation in the first place?
Can you think of a time when Scripture empowered you to say "No" to sin?
Is God speaking to you even now about temptations you need to reject?
7 40 years in the desert
In Deut. 8 Moses tells the Israelites to remember: It was to humble them and test to see what was in their heart. Their response was sometimes discouragement, grumbling and unbelief. but He fed them with manna every day to show them His faithfulness.
Remember how the Lord your
God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.
Deuteronomy 8:2
Man doesn’t live by bread alone but by every
word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy. 8:3
Reflect
What holds your interest - route or destination?
How do you feel about God`s route for your life?
How well are you collecting manna every morning?
How well does it sustain throughout the day ?
Jesus said that the Father gives us the true bread from heaven and
that He is the Bread of Life.
They may have preferred to go the direct route, but God planned the longer, forty year route. He carried them as a Father his child He led, He carried. He had things to share with them; He wasn’t in a hurry; the journey was precious to Him, and He would see that they got to the Promised Land in the end.
There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. Deuteronomy 1:31
Prayer
Help me Father to gladly walk your wilderness path. Thank you that that it doesn’t feel like a wilderness with you Jesus by my side, my daily bread. Thank you for your plan for me.
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For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord," plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
8 Life in the desert
Welwitschia Plant,
Namib Desert
It is not coincidental that Jesus goes into the wilderness, or that it is the Spirit who leads him there. Though he does not need to be confronted with his own sin, as we are, He is still led to discover who he is and is tempted by the things that are not part of God’s call for him.
In the wilderness, we also can become more aware of our dependence on God. In the wilderness, we learn to trust God’s way of being. In the wilderness, we are connected to what God is doing in the world. In the wilderness, when all else is taken away, we learn the true value of things,
and the ultimate value of love.
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus. Isaiah 35:1
Questions to aid Reflection
What is your impression of the desert? How do you picture it?
What aspects of a desert would you wish to avoid?
How does the sense of emptiness make you feel?
What impressions and dangers in a spiritual context concern you?
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Pray
If you are in a desert, name the things you fear. “I fear _________.” and choose to believe by faith that Jesus himself walks with you and will shoulder your burden with you. Pray for increased vision to see His way.
His presence reminds us of another truth about deserts. Despite all indications to the contrary, the desert is filled with life. It may be life as we have never seen it before, but it is life.
Seeds are buried in the desert waiting to burst into life. The roots of the withered looking plant go deep, taking nourishment to sustain their leaves and flowers. Even at its most desolate, the desert is ready to burst into bloom at the first sign of life-giving water. The empty barren looking landscape in daylight suddenly fills with life at night, as animals emerge in the cool of the night.
Our impression of the desert is often of an emptiness where conditions are rough and too harsh for life, but actually deserts are full of life. The harshness teaches us to move with care, aware of its beauty and dangers. The emptiness of the desert teaches the traveller how to live without distractions, embracing each precious moment fully rather than spending it recklessly. The desert wildlife teaches the traveller to observe and respond to the small dangers in life before they become problems.
9 Temptations in the wilderness
Jesus` Temptations are dramatic, and give us well advised pointers to draw close to God and follow His example. These are valid, but for this reflection we will expand those thoughts.
Turn stones to bread
Some portions of desert are littered with boulders that you have to pick your way through in order not to stumble. Jesus may well have been walking through this landscape, hungry from fasting when confronted. He responds by quoting: "Man shall not live by bread alone" which comes from Torah, the book of the Law, Jesus was driven there by the Holy Spirit and in not being tempted, He revealed the life that the Israelites were called to but failed in the wilderness, just as we are. His preparation was one of knowing God`s heart of loving care and trusting Him for provision.
Greater Negev
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3
Dough cooked in Nazareth Village
The Israelites, hungry, were tested to see what was in their heart. They grumbled but God fed them with manna. At times we too need testing to call us to be humbled and trust Him.
Why God tests is stated in the preceding verse:
"to humble and test you in order to know
what was in your heart, whether or no
t you would keep his commands."
Deuteronomy 8:2
God`s Word is the truth and the daily bread of our life. Because of God’s Word, we are supplied and sated in our spirit; so that we have faith to stand testimony when we encounter failure and defeat, trials and refinement. All of us have experienced physical hunger at some time in our lives. For most of us, that usually means that we have missed a meal. In our minor discomfort we are often guilty of complaining of being “starved” or “famished”. Imagine Jesus, fasting for forty days, not eating or drinking, in the heat of the desert. In his human flesh, he would have known pain, deprivation, but his fasting had a purpose beyond those physical needs. Satan’s challenge to turn the stones of the desert into bread to feed his hunger would have been easy to fulfill. After all, God had fed the Israelites in the desert when they were wandering for forty years, but in his humanity he gives a response to Satan’s challenge that rings with the power of truth: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”
We are human beings, made in the image and likeness of God. We are God’s children, endowed with immortal souls. There is more to this life than mere bread, and things. We are more than just flesh. While our bodies do, in fact, need food and water to survive and to thrive, our souls need something far more substantial than that. - His Word.
Questions to aid reflection
In what areas are you tested most?
What causes you to grumble?
How would you rate your trust in God?
Prayer -
Giving thanks for His provision and faithfulness
Thank Him for His Word that sustains life.
10 Temptation to Worship Satan for power
The second temptation is to divide loyalties and take an easy route to the goal. Jesus responded, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13. Rather than just the excerpt it is worth noting that the whole of Deuteronomy 6 is about obedience which results in blessing.
Jesus was called to obey God and worship Him alone.
The Israelites had also been called to worship God alone in their 40 year wilderness wanderings but failed by making a golden idol and bowing down to an image that they had been commanded not to.
The 'Wilderness Experience' is not a denial of God's blessing, but the outworking of God's blessing, as His call is clarified in us. - to serve and worship Him alone with reverent fear.
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Questions for Refection
What are your first concerns and priorities?
In what areas do you struggle with obedience?
How would you rate your worship?
You, God, are my God, I shall seek you earnestly. My soul thirsts for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. ... I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
Psalm 63:1-5
Psalm of David when he was in the Judah wilderness
In Psalm 63, David`s first thoughts are of God, seeking Him above his personal needs. Can we similarly worship God alone in the dry, barren land?
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Prayer
Dear Lord, I know that wherever I am, You are with me—guiding, protecting, providing. You make a mountain into a pathway; You make streams flow in the desert; You cause a root to grow out of dry ground. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to see You work when hope seems lost.
11 Temptation to test God`s promises
Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God ... Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you
Deuteronomy 6:16-18
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Our call is to be diligent in keeping
His commands rather than challenging
God`s motives as they did at Massah. (Exodus. 17)
Jesus temptations are a template as to how we should respond. Jesus refused to doubt God`s promise of provision, care. and commitment to his people. His total trust is implied even to death.
The devil wanted Jesus to put God in a place that He had to prove Himself and His promises.
The Israelites had complained and tested God like this when they wanted water to drink and demanded it from God. (Exodus 17:1-7) at a place called Massah which means `testing`.
Questions for Reflection
How do you respond in time of trial? How might your faith, trust, and reliance on the Lord be increased especially during times of testing?
Jesus` responses show He leant on the Torah, Bible Truth, during these times. How well do you draw on scripture in the difficult times?
Prayer
Thank You for Your Word which is life and health to my soul. I trust that You are working behind the scenes for my good. I will hide Your Word in my heart, knowing that all will be well because You are good and faithful.
12 Close to God
Having looked at Jesus temptations in the Wilderness and the echo of the Israelite wanderings there is much to encourage us in our desert.
It was not Jesus’ idea to go into the wilderness, it was his Father’s. It was the Spirit of God that “led” him or “drove” him into the wilderness. The spirit of God was with Jesus every moment of those forty days and nights. At no time did his Father abandon him or leave him alone. God was always with His Son, and Jesus always walked, in the spiritual awareness of his Father’s love and delight in him.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:1
It’s during the wilderness experience that sometimes God seems to disappear from us — He can neither be seen, heard or experienced… and our tested faith seems hollow and meaningless. The great medieval mystic, Julian of Norwich, asked herself these same questions. How can evil exist in a world supposedly governed by a loving and sovereign God? Ultimately Julian found her answers only in powerful intimacy with Jesus Christ. The wilderness is a place through which we travel in order to reach a place of greater intimacy with God, for He is always there.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials
of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
Temptations and troubles may cause us to believe that God has abandoned us but they test and temper our faith
(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
God will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can withstand (1 Corinth 10:13, Hebrews 2:18) and He will never abandon or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)
Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Intimacy with God is available and accessible. Intimacy is relational so God is intimate with those who trust him, and in love desire to draw close to Him. With love as our motivation we can appropriate His power to enable us be transformed more into His likeness and live by His Spirit.
Reflection + Prayer
Have a conversation with God about having a greater intimacy with Him.
Give thanks in the knowledge of His faithful presence even when we are less aware of Him.
Seek a greater infilling of His Spirit to guide you.
13 Defeat or Victory ?
Jesus learnt in the desert what the enemy`s strategy was,
how to recognise him, his voice and how to defeat him.
The reason the Son of God appeared was
to destroy the devil's work.
1 John 3:8b
It`s worth noting that the devil uses scripture when arguing with Jesus, quoting from Psalm 91:11-12
However, Psalm 91 reminds the reader not to fear violent enemies or disasters: “You shall not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, or of the destruction that wastes at noon” Disasters that occur 24 / 7 are not to be feared. We might think particularly of the devil skulking in the shadows of night! - but he prowls at all times. This Psalm of protection from evil is perhaps a poor choice of Satan as psalm 91 is a prayer that guarded against the demonic driving Satan away!
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty
Psalm 91:1
Reflect
What is your own response to fear-provoking situations?
Verse 1 evokes an image of place and stability
What does it mean to “live in the shelter of the Most High” ?
Can you say that you live there?
Prayer: Psalm 91 gives food for thought in exploring our own personal experience(s) of and relationship with God – Have a personal conversation about this with God.
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
The hardest advice of all, to a person who is self-reliant, is submission to anyone, and especially to God, but that is the first step towards resisting evil, and keeping God in His rightful position.
14 Jesus responds to temptation with God`s Word.
The desert is a place where food
is not abundant or obvious.
Before Joshua enters the Promised Land,, God tells him:
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:8
Amos 8:11 says there can be “a famine of the word of God”.
Our society has suffered this progressively. God’s word is not read, valued, understood or applied. Jesus, the living Word of God, is marginalised in our culture, education and public life
Another version of Joshua is translated : `shall not depart from your mouth`
The phrase conveys the unwillingness of God and the people to separate from one another. Therefore, in telling Joshua not to allow the Torah to “depart” from his lips, God says that for the person who meditates on the words of Scripture, the Lord is continually close; to read God’s words is to experience God’s presence. The same phrase is in Exodus when the Israelites wander in the wilderness and God goes with them by cloud and fire (Exodus 13:22) God establishes His relationship with them as they negotiate the uncertainty of their desert journey. Later, Joshua does not depart from the Tent of Meeting as an act of positioning himself in God`s presence.
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing
love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
Reflection
Reflect on times God has spoken through His Word to you.
How are you storing up such treasures in your heart?
How well are you reading and hearing God’s word, AND allowing it to affect your actions and attitudes?
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
James 1:23-24
God says:
… so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
Prayer
Give thanks for God`s Word and pray for those who don`t have access. Pray that you may learn and store His Word and use it rightly.
Ask God to forgive the times when you have heard but not obeyed.
Ask God for His forgiveness for our society as we have turned away from God’s word and His standards.
15 Lost or Found ?
Having journeyed thus far, consider again your image of the desert...
Perhaps you imagine a waterless, desolate area of land with little or no vegetation, typically covered with sand or rocks. We often define deserts by an absence.
‘Desert’ had a different meaning for the early Christians. Rather than lacking, they saw deserts as the purest examples of God’s creation. The Desert Fathers searched for uninhabited spaces, where they could find God in places uncontaminated by anything where there was little or no human presence, and therefore solitude, was the norm.
Perhaps you are someone who is found by God more easily when out in creation and amidst nature.
Jesus often went into the wilderness, a mountain top, a lonely place to pray.
So too in the spiritual desert of Lent we often begin our journey with the impression that Lent is merely a time of emptiness, denying ourselves, but it is truly a time of growth. It teaches us to be careful and consistent in our spiritual journey, which leads us to live the spiritual life by truly embracing each moment as an opportunity to grow in love. It teaches us to live without daily distractions that steal the precious moments we have. It teaches us to watch for the small dangers in our spiritual life. In confronting the difficulties of Lent and understanding our own weakness, we can learn to live life more fully.
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect — life in its fullness until you overflow!
John 10:10 - Passion Translation
Monastery of St. George, Wadi Qelt, Judean Wilderness
Prayer
Declare truth perhaps using the following verses as a guide:
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten" Joel 2:25
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Will they find delight in the Almighty? Will they call on God at all times? Job 27:10
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Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. Jeremiah 17:7
Reflection
Spend time noting where you have lost, had stolen or destroyed and your reactions.
Our promise is one of abundance and life to the full. Contrast your life, and listen to
what God has promised and what He is saying to you.
Look to nature, and ask God to speak to you through what you see, hear, smell or feel.
Can you find purity, peace, strength....... within the created world that is good.
Keep me safe, my God, for
in you I take refuge.
Psalm 16:1
Wadis are steep, rocky ravines where flash floods have cut through the rocks before becoming dry once more.
Often the path is a ledge with sheer sides making the path dark and foreboding. It is dangerous to walk alone. We need one another to help each other negotiate and offer a supportive hand around boulders and across eroded gaps in the ledges.
Psalm 23 pictures the darkness of such places.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me Psalm 23:4
​
In the desert, honesty becomes a necessity; if we are not honest with ourselves about our limitations and our resources, then we will make wrong decisions. If we are not honest with our travelling companions then they can make the wrong decisions.
16 Negotiating the terrain
Wadi Dragot, Israel
The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14
The desert has plenty of room for movement, but little room for error; wrong decisions can lead to disaster. Right decisions are a necessity in the spiritual desert. We will grow and become healed of our wounds when we admit our weaknesses to ourselves and others so that pride, will not overtake us; and we find the gift of humility. It is the water of Life which sustains us and allows us to thrive in the spiritual desert.
As the wise traveller seeks out companions to travel with them, in the desert where life is difficult, fellow travellers enable us to share our work, our sorrows, and our joys. We can support them when they are weak and they can do the same for us, ensuring that we all have a better chance of reaching the oasis at the end of our journey.
Reflect
Who do you share your spiritual travels with and can be completely
honest with about your spiritual struggles, your sorrows, and your joys?
Who do you support in listening and prayer?
How can we all be strengthened in such a way that we all have a better
chance of reaching the water of eternal life in the lush garden of Paradise.
Prayer
Give thanks for the faithful companions that mean so much to you. Pray that the Lord would put on your heart who you might journey with in the next stage of the journey.
17 Danger in the desert
Wadis are dangerous places as the rains high in the mountains miles away build the surge that suddenly appears. The desert rock doesn't soak up water easily, so heavy rains produce flash floods quickly and without warning. Dry channels, and ditches fill without warning and the water can be strong and violent bringing boulders and tree stumps miles -- sometimes creating a wall of water 1many feet high.. Survival depends on getting to high ground. A great metaphor for our spiritual journey.
Danger may mean we need to scramble up high, Seize every moment. Grab hold of each day and make the most of it. Strive for joy, which comes in spite of the circumstances. Head up to God - He is a safe refuge, and looks out for us.
God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you. So we will never fear even if every structure of support were to crumble away. We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes, moving mountains and casting them into the sea. For the raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves cannot erode our faith in you.
Psalm 46:1 Passion Translation
Reflect on this quote to Baloo in the Jungle Book as God himself speaking to us in the depths: "Look at me. Look at nothing but me. You’re doing fine. Just keep your eyes up High.”
What does it mean to `look up high` ` at no-one else`
Do you need the encouraging voice to follow? How well do you hear, through the tumult and cacophony around you?
Prayer: Worship God! Give thanks and praise.
Flash flood near the Dead Sea brings muddy water across the road
18 Holy Ground
In the desert, we learn the perils of wandering in the sun's burning heat, We may think the sun is the enemy, preventing us travelling when we want to. Its heat and glare prompts us to seek shelter, wear clothes that cover our exposed bodies thoroughly, and makes us thirsty.
God is a consuming fire whose heat and light we cannot escape. We may think He is our enemy preventing us from realising our desires, but in coming closer to Him, we find we stand on Holy ground and must be transformed as our impurities are burned away in the fire of His love.
Sahara desert sun
Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take
off your sandals, for the place where you
are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:5
Reflect
Note how you see God during trial and difficulties. Try re-framing the spiritual desert life you may have or be suffering, in terms of opportunity to grow and draw closer to God.
Where do you find Holy Ground?
The desert is an uncomfortable place for those unaccustomed to a life where the essentials are what drive our decisions and pleasures are simple and necessary ones. Life in the desert is an opportunity for learning and growing. Our comfort transforming into an invitation to thrive as we travel through the desert in search of the lush pasture that awaits when we find the water that sustains life.
He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words
of his mouth more than my daily bread.
Job 23:10-12
Prayer
God of fire and burning bush come meet us on Holy ground. Come sit with us. God of surprises come challenge and dazzle us with your creation. Move and provoke us with your refining, warming fire.
In the desert, it is not the billions of grains of sand that cause constant irritation, but
the few that irritate in a boot! How quickly we stop to pour them out if we are wise.
In the same way, when in the spiritual desert, it is the evils that we carry with us that constantly irritate. To stop and rid ourselves of these irritants is wise.
However, the experience is something we can learn from. Take the pearl for instance. Some sand grains find their way into an oyster. The sand irritates the oyster and the oyster coats the sand changing and transforming it into a pearl. The making of a pearl is done during the grain of sand's "life". It is a process.
19 Irritants
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.
Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,
but folly brings punishment to fools.
Proverbs 16:20-22
Reflect
What things irritate you? or distract you?
During times when you have faced challenges, did you experience God’s presence or absence? How did this feel? How did God’s presence or absence affect your faith or your prayer?
Read: Matthew 13:45-46
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future full with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord. Jeremiah 29: 11-14
Jeremiah’s words assure us that not only does God have plans of love and hope for us, but God also hears us when we call. He is aware of our struggles and those things that irritate us. He wants to work with us to to bring change.
​
Reflect:
Think of someone you know who has faced significant struggles or suffering in their life. What have you learned from their example?
What of your own difficulties? Have you learnt something new about your identity? your relationship with God?
Job lost everything. He wept. He lamented. Then he worshipped God. His emptiness caused him to exclaim that God is enough.
Reflect
When things appear to go wrong, or you become aware of irritants, where is Father God for you? - Absent, distant, uninterested, or watching over you?
How well do you rely on Almighty God?
Prayer: The challenges we face may be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. We may struggle with health: disabilities, disease, mental illness or .... We may struggle with estranged relationships, or abuse. We may struggle with work: loss, job burnout, ethical dilemmas, or financial difficulties. We may struggle with loss: of a loved one, an opportunity, an ability or a dream. We may struggle with our faith: where is God in this mess and chaos?
Where any of these (or others) resonate bring them to God in prayer, asking both for His help and what He wants you to see and learn through them.
20 Where is your focus
In the desert, dust storms arise, obscuring our vision with sand battering us. It is best to cover our face and eyes to keep out as much of the dust as possible and shelter as It is impossible to continue the journey.
So too in the spiritual desert, storms arise which can obscure our vision of Christ with small worries in our daily lives. It can be dangerous to continue to ignore them in case we are distracted from our route onto wrong paths that draw us away from entering fully into God`s loving presence.
Gobi Desert, Mongolia
In the desert, dust is ever-present, a reality which permeates the landscape and, when the winds blow, reminds us that what appears to be small and harmless can become a danger to us. It is a reminder of our fragility.
In the spiritual desert, distractions are ever-present, and the images of sin permeate the landscape of our lives. What appear to be small and harmless indulgences, quickly become dangers to us when the winds
strengthen and we are battered by the wind of life's challenges.
​
Reflect Are their things that we need to cover our eyes from and hide? To repent of? Small things that can grow and disorient us? Bring them to God in prayer.
We don’t often share the shadow sides of our stories with others. Consider whether you have a close friend or mentor who you could share your story or experience with to be accountable to your desire for change and as an encouragement.
He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
Deuteronomy 32:10
Take courage that God wants to protect and guard us because we are precious in His sight.
Prayer
Father, I thank you for Jesus, who knows my heart, struggles, and the world. Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice, which saved me. Thank you for your sustaining presence in times of hardship and plenty.
21 Truth or Distortion
Truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
Gobi Desert
In the desert, during the heat of the day, mirages may appear in our vision. These mirages appear because our vision is limited and often faulty; the truth of it is that the water we believe is present in the distance is heated air through which the sunlight has been refracted and shimmers like ripples.
In the same way, in the spiritual desert we may find that what appears in our limited spiritual vision is merely an illusion, Our mind takes a situation and perceives it the way it has been conditioned to. At times that needs challenging.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
Prayer
Give us clear sight and reveal the truth to us. Lord, you know all. Show us what we need to know amidst a tide of falsehoods, that we may see as you see and know the truth.
Reflect
Has your vision of what is possible with God been distorted?
How do you solidify your confidence in God?
Are their areas of truth that appear hazy?
22 Dark night of the soul
In the desert, vigilance is required at night when it gets cold in contrast to the hot day.
It is good to know that God is present 24/7. As He led the Israelites through the
desert He provided resources to guide. God never left his people alone on their journey. His presence was always there, a reminder to them that they hadn’t been left on their own in the wilderness. As a pillar of cloud in the day and fire by night, He guided them, giving them shade from the fierceness of the desert sun, and a light and warmth in the dark, cold nights.
So too in the spiritual desert, it is not just in the heat of the excitement that we must be vigilant, but in the cold dark night. The Evil One waits for us to stumble and fall. The phrase `dark night of the soul` is used for this turning point when we can choose `life`
Mongolian Ger Camp at night
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19
By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to given them light… Exodus 13:21
God’s presence is powerful and strong, not dependent on how good we are, He
is faithful in our hardest struggles. In
Him can rest and peace be found. The years of desert wanderings must have been difficult to endure, but God doesn’t work on our timetable. He saw them through to the end. He never abandoned his people. They kept pressing through and God continued to be with them, as He is with us as well.
We have God`s Word, and the Holy Spirit to give guidance. He is with us, gives wisdom, and provides direction, so we never have to fear being left on our own to figure things out. He goes ahead of us, He walks with us, and He guards our way from behind. His Word gives truth and life, and shows us the way to walk.
​
Reflect
We often speak of the `dark soul of the night` - the struggle when we wrongly think that God has abandoned us and enter a spiritual depression. How can you still have joy in your heart whilst depression tries to fill our head?
What is it like to be `hemmed in` by God?
You hem me in behind and before, and
you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5
Prayer
O God. Hear my prayer.
At night I keep stretching out my hands to you. I long for you I remember your deeds of love and I meditate on you.
I remember your miracles and give thanks to you. We walk by faith, not by sight.
I remember you, Lord Jesus Christ
​
Jesus pleaded with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane before the dark hour that was coming upon him and them:
`Watch an Pray`
Matthew 26:41
23 Water in the desert
In the desert, we learn to be grateful for the oasis we reach at the end of our day's journey. The difficulties of the journey, are put into the perspective of the joys of the oasis, slaking our thirst on scarce and valuable water which is necessary for life.
The woman who met Jesus at the well in John 4 was longing for water, but even more for satisfaction in relationship. We have all in different ways during the past year realised the truth of God’s statement in Genesis that it is not good for any of us to be alone.
But even the closest human relationship does not bring ultimate satisfaction. Many scriptures indicate that the fulfilment of being in relationship with God is better than the relief of cool water in the desert
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Psalm 42:2
I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
Psalm 143:6
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1
Reflect
How am I searching for this vital relationship connection?
Can I echo the Psalmist’s longing?
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He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
there he brought the hungry to live,
Psalm 107:35
In the spiritual desert it is good to be grateful for our daily provision and
the ability to pray even though the dryness of our daily toil abounds. We
can delight in the joys of prayer, in lifting up our burdens and casting
them off so that we can slake our spiritual thirst in true freedom, drinking
gratefully the water which is necessary for the spiritual life.
Zion National Park U.S.A.
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and the water gushed forth.
Isaiah 48:21
Reflect
Beside prayer, what other spiritual provisions are you grateful for?
How do these enhance your life, and those around you?
How might you encourage these gifts to be even more established in your life?
Prayer
Take time to express your gratitude to God and worship Him, Jehovah - Jirah (God our provider)
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:27
While we wait for our physical contact with
others to be restored, God promises to meet
us in our dryness of spirit and experience:
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of
the water of life. Revelation 21:6
Jesus says:
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
John 7:37
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6
Reflect and pray:
Are you more aware of needing relationship because of missing them during the pandemic?
How is your relationship with God; do He and His promises seem close or distant?
Ask God to open your eyes and increase your faith, making you able to believe that He can fulfil your need beyond expectations.
Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with His living water and to flow through you to bring others the same refreshment
24 Oasis
I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it. Isaiah 41:18-20
In the hot, dry desert we appreciate the bounty of
water in the lush, shelter of an oasis. In a way it is
the harshness of the desert that teaches us the value
of the oasis.
Ein Gedi National Park, Israel
In the same way, in the spiritual desert, the experienced know that it is in the spiritual dryness that teaches us to appreciate He who is the Living Water all the more.
​
Reflect
Do you pray “Lord, take my wilderness away.” or `Lord work through my wilderness?
What do you require to be re-hydrated in faith?
​
Pray
God, make beauty from my wilderness. Give me peace & strength as I walk in the wilderness.
Lord, direct me throughout my journey so I can experience your plans for my life. Reveal the life-paths that are pleasing to you. Escort me along the way; take me by the hand and teach me. For you are the God of my increasing salvation;
I have wrapped my heart into yours!
Psalm 25:4-5 Passion Translation
25 Humility
In the desert, water can be difficult to find, and one of the best ways to find water is to go down to the low and shadowed places, for that is where water can collect and remain despite the assault of the blazing sun. When we seek, find and follow the river of life, we may notice that it takes us over rocky ground as it draws us lower into the valley where the spring awaits. There is no way to reach it without travelling the rocky ground and lowering ourselves into the valley. When we find it, the water that sustains us is worth it!
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs; Psalm 84:5-6
A good way to find living water in the spiritual desert is to seek out the shadowed places in our lives with sincerity, lowering ourselves in humility so that we might drink the water that remains despite any sufferings. Water we can count on to keep us from death.
Reflection
Where is your focus - God, others or yourself when difficulties arise?
How well do you celebrate others? - particularly those who changed you.
How well do you embrace your frailties and mistakes?
How vulnerable and transparent with others are you?
Prayer
That God will give you insight and wisdom as you take time to reflect
May He also grant you clear direction for the next step of the journey
26 Resourced
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you,
my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2
In the Bible, there are many verses where God promises to make streams in the desert, rivers in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19)
That water will gush forth in the wilderness.
(Isaiah 35:6)
He promises to turn the desert into pools of water, parched ground into springs (Isaiah 41:18, Psalm 107:35)
and pour out water on the thirsty land.
Isaiah 44:3
Think of David and how after being anointed by Samuel to be king, he spent much time in the wilderness fleeing from King Saul. All the while God was preparing him for his role as king. In 1 Samuel 23, we see that even in his wilderness journey, he finds a place of refreshing at En Gedi, an oasis in the desert. Even in the dry, seemingly barren wildernesses of life, God’s is doing something new. The wilderness is preparation for something big! The Israelites travelled through the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. David spent time in the wilderness before becoming King. Jesus was in the wilderness before He started his ministry.
Reflect
In the wilderness, where are your eyes focussed? Present hardship or preparation for future promise?
What is the most important “valley” you’ve experienced? What did you learn?
Pray
Lord, lead us to a place of refreshing and equipping and reveal Your plans
27 Blooms in the desert
The desert blooms in brilliant colour where the stream flows or brief rain falls, A steady stream of water allows the flourishing of plants and animals. In the same way, we can flourish when we live in contact with the steady stream of the water of life, the living water which is found by those who seek it and given to those who ask for it.
Sedona Desert after rain
Morning Glory, Mongolia Fesert
Reflection
Are you flourishing where God has planted you?
What “mountain top” of life have you experienced?
How did this help you grow?
Similarly, what growth during a spiritual desert?
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God. Isaiah 35:1-2
In the same way, the spiritual desert is a wonderful gift to us. The sparse and dry spiritual landscapes which our souls traverse help us to understand how very good Christ is, He who brings us Living Water, the water of eternal life to which He calls us, the water which springs forever in the garden to which He alone can restore us.
Prayer
Pray for the courage to acknowledge the valleys and to walk in both the valleys and the heights. Pray for the hope and faith in Christ through valleys that enable you to see the blooms as they blossom..
28 Elijah on the run
Elijah, after being used by God became fearful and depressed by opposition and fled to the desert, exhausted wanting to die. In the desert he was fed, rested, and continued to be fed for his journey further into the wilderness.
He actually travelled 40 days to reach a cave near the mountain of God. (1 Kings 19) His conversation expressed his perception and anguish on what had occurred. Twice God challenged him as to what he was doing. Elijah needed to express himself being real about his thoughts and feelings before he could really hear God and move forward once more. That instruction was not in the noise and power that nature presented but quietly as a still small voice that re-empowered him so return to work and serve God afresh.
Makhtesh Negev, Sinai Peninsular, Egypt
Like us, Elijah needed a new perspective... We get tired, burnt out and need to be renewed. Exhaustion can prevent us thinking clearly and time is needed to debrief events, restore perspective, and know our identity in Christ. Elijah had been exhausted and overwhelmed after some large events in his life, but God refreshed him, and re-orientated him through His gentile whisper. God softly and gently comforts, and provides His peaceful presence to renew. God can and does make all things new.
The One seated on the throne said,
"Behold, I make all things new."
Revelation 21:5
Pray
To have discernment when you or others are struggling
or require a right perspective.
To have a more tuned listening ear to God and others.
Reflect
Elijah isolated himself v.3, and felt isolated v.10. How do you relate in big life events?
Is this appropriate and how might it be different?
How do you make time after a victory or defeat to `debrief` and communicate with God?
- to give Him glory and praise (or repentance if defeated);
- to rehearse the events;
- to recall His wisdom and strength and thank Him for that.
29 Shade in the Desert
Abraham planted a Tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.
Genesis 21:33
Into context. Abraham was in the Negev desert and made a treaty with the Philistine's who recognized the power of God was with him. They also agreed and established his well-water rights at Beersheba meaning `Well of Oath` After this Abraham plants this specifically named Tamarisk - which is his statement of faith.
So what is special about this tree?
It`s a slow growing evergreen tree that will provide shade and can grow 50 foot tall able to be seen from a distance
This tree will be seen as a marker, for travellers through the open desert for generations to come. The Israelites would have passed that way some 400 years later. It`s close to the well, from which people will need water as well as shade from the conditions. It requires cultivation which implies that the planters like Abraham would remain in community nearby but the benefit would also be for generations to come as it is slow-growing
​
Reflection
The tree is like a beacon of hope to direct people. What is your direction finder in the desert?
Abraham calls upon the Name of the Everlasting, Eternal God. - God who is both now and future. What legacy are you planting and for whom?
Pray:
That God will lift your eyes to where help and hope come from
That God will establish a good legacy from your life of obedience like Abrahams.
Lord, we are so anxious to have everything right now, but your Tamarisk shows us that all things mature in their own timing. Grant us your patience, Lord.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains –
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121 : 1-2
30 The Tamarisk Tree
Recognising the Tamarisk is a symbol, a resource of shade, and for rest.
The planted Tamarisk needs nourishing just as we do. We are firmly planted by the Living water to pour out our lives to others. Standing firm as a beacon of hope, we create a place of refuge and rest for weary travellers.. Like Abraham we might not see the full fruition of the seeds planted but we press on knowing others will continue to water and tend until the fruit comes forth in abundance. Jews and Bedouins know that you do not plant a Tamarisk tree for yourself, you plant it for the generations to come and this reveals God`s Covenant.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 1:3
Reflect
How are you a place of rest for others that might not even know they need it?
Pray
Give thanks that like Abraham we can know there is an eternal Promise being fulfilled. Pray that like the tree we will stay rooted and draw abundantly from the living water that flows in us and through us. Water that never ceases. Living water. We will stand firm, thrive, and become the salt, shelter and beacon of light for those around us.
Paul says: `I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.`
1 Corinthians 3:6
Prayer
Our call is bigger than our imagining. Recognise that the things done today have the opportunity to impact throughout the generations. Ask God`s help to make the choices that matter. Thank you that even in the desert, You are planting seeds with our lives.
31 More from the Tamarisk tree
Reflect
How much of your life is salt giving - able to transform others?
How can you be strengthened by God, resting in his shade?
What could you change in your life to make this happen?
Prayer
Lord, Help me to be salt and life to the weary and needy.
The Tamarisk provides shelter but also air conditioning ! The leaves exude salt that at night attract moisture and during the day create a pleasant breeze as the water vapour adhering to the salt evaporates and cools the tree and the shade below it.
The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen
those whose hearts are fully committed to him
2 Chronicles 16:9
The Tamarisk uses its salt and shade to provide rest for the weary traveller.
​
Whoever dwells in the shelter
of the Most High will rest in
the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
32 As a deer...
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
It was in the "Rocks of the wild goats / Ibex" or En Gedi that David, a man on the run, had gone to hide from a furious King Saul who had determined to kill him. This
area is a rocky oasis with fresh springs in the desert.
He has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
Psalm 66:9
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
En Gedi Ibex
The ibex leap from rock to rock, surefooted, going higher, Rather than a formidable landscape we can think of the Ibex climbing to safety seeking security from predators. The Ibex seem to take risks jumping long distances and stand on the edge. They appear to do the impossible and have no fear.
Ibex at En Gedi Hyrax
Drawing close to God on His Holy Mountain where He provides a refuge, and strength.
​
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he
makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:19
The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
Psalm 104:18
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
Reflect and Pray
God has created us to appear to do the impossible. Sometimes we may have to take risks to obey God but we can do it.
God does not want timid people but people full of faith ready to take risks for him.
Be a mountain Goat! God has given you all the tools that you need to be the person that he wants you to be.
Ask Him to increase your trust and faith.
33 Silence
With eyes to see, the desert is a place of stark natural beauty with an incredible amount of space and open sky. The isolation of the desert makes it ideal for reflection where silence can be found in nature all around and contrasts with our busy lives.
There is something about the other-worldly rock and sand formations, the unusual, drought resistant plant life that make us feel like we have walked into a different existence. The unbroken blue sky or clear starry night.
Psychologically, the wide open space of the desert can emphasise our human frailty and smallness, whilst footprints in the sand tell of those who have gone before, or movement draws our attention. Opportunity in the desert can provide vivid clarity.
Khongoryn Els, Mongolia Full Moon Night
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Desert Growth - Namibia Camel tracks in the sand - Gobi Desert Sinai Desert Rose Finch, Jordan
The desert does not mean the absence of humanity, but, the presence of God. It is the little things that are noticed that can be the sign-post to Him, the creator and preserver of life. The small, inconsequential things around us can speak of God if we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and lead to enlightening conversations with our God who lives in the de-cluttered space in our heart. - Look around you now - what might God be saying to you?
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the
fire came a gentle whisper.
1 Kings 19:12
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​
​
Be still, and know that I am God
Psalm 46:10
A time to keep silence,
and a time to speak
Ecclesiastes 3:7
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
Psalm 37:7
Reflect
From where do you receive your information? Social media? News broadcasts? Gossip with friends?
Take one of the images above and ask God to speak to you through them. Listen. Then Listen some more. This silence is about connection, communion and presence. You may wish to journal - write down - what God is saying to you. It`s treasure, so let Him unwrap it for you.
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Prayer
Give thanks for ears to hear God when He speaks through ordinary things around us. Ask Him to help you to hear and know His quiet voice.
34 Place of opposites
The wilderness experience is not always expected or
understood, but hear are two thoughts:
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The 'Wilderness Experience' is not a denial of God's blessing.
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The 'Wilderness Experience' is the outworking of God's blessing.
Making, breaking, moulding and filling are part of Christian
wilderness experience of growth. An opportunity to grow,
change, develop, get stronger and mature in our faith.
Often the desert experience involves removal of something familiar, a prop, where the Holy Spirit as a 'Comforter' seems to make life very un-comfortable, but ultimately it is for our benefit. We feel secure when things are predictable, or if they are variable we want to retain overall control. This false security gets exposed when events take their own turn, and that can cause us great anxiety. This often happens with life's traumas, like illness, or world reaction like the pandemic.
The Israelites learnt to trust God
daily for their bread, and to obey
His instructions.
A Christian's desert-experience is
a journey of spiritual significance, where the Christian allows it to be
so. We have the choice to make
our desert experiences a spiritual break-through.
He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and
test you so that in the end it might
go well with you.
Deuteronomy 8:16
Take courage, our wilderness experience is:
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never just about loss, but also about gain
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never just about testing but also about being strengthened
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never just about loneliness, but also about presence
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never just about danger but also about deliverance
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never just about exposure, but also about shelter
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never just about fasting, but also about refreshment
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never just about deprivation, but also about enrichment
It is what we decide to do with our wilderness that determines whether it is Christian experience of growth with God in charge, or whether it is simply a trying and difficult time of which we are trying to be in charge.
Reflection
Do you have a tendency to avoid difficulties, or embrace them as opportunities?
Thinking of past (or present) difficulties, what lessons did you learn from God?
How do you pastor others through their wilderness experiences?
It is what we decide to do with our wilderness that determines whether it is Christian experience of growth with God in charge, or whether it is simply a trying and difficult time of which we are trying to be in charge.
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they
are discerned only through the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:14
Prayer
For spiritual insight into wilderness circumstances that can be a means for growth. For an increased trust in God acknowledging His way is perfect.
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As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 18:30
35 There’s always a spring
The Angel of the Lord found Hagar near
a spring in the desert...... "You are the God
who sees me” she said, “I have now seen
the One who sees me”.
Genesis 16: 7 & 13
No-one comes out of this saga very well! Hagar is drawn into being a solution to a problem but ends up as a victim alone in the desert. However, God has purposes and plans for Hagar and she is led to sit by a Spring, a source of life-giving water, where an Angel, sent by God, finds her, sad and rejected. The Angel brings her hope. and she recognises that God knows and cares about her situation. “You are the God who sees me...” she exclaims.
There are times in our own lives when we find ourselves in a barren place; sometimes through circumstances not of our own making. We may feel we have been treated thoughtlessly or badly by others or even by God. We feel alone. For every child of God there is a spring nearby. It may take time to find it! We may not see it at first but God will never leave us without the provision and protection we need. May our testimony be: “You are the God who sees me. I have now seen the One who sees me.”
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I cared for you in the wilderness,
In the land of drought. Hosea 13:5
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Reflect
Encourage yourself by remembering times when God has revealed to you a spring in the desert and led you out of a barren place.
What is your response to our `God who sees` ?
36 Jerusalem to Jericho Road
Old Jerusalem to Jericho road
Reflect
What is the practical out working of your faith journey?
Are you aware of those in genuine need whom you can help?
Show me your faith without deeds,
and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
James 2:18
Prayer
For a greater compassion and eyes to see those in need and to act upon it
The well known parable of the Good Samaritan is set in a real place. (Luke 10:25-37) An inhospitable 18 mile road through the Judean wilderness from Jerusalem at 2500` above sea level, to Jericho 825` below sea level. As it meanders there are plenty of hiding places for robbers.
The lawyer, or Bible scholar listened to Jesus` parable where both priest and Levite, religious observants had probably fulfilled their Temple obligations and were returning home
when they found a stranger who had been robbed and beaten, but ignored him. The Samaritan however, had compassion and cared for him generously. Seeing led to action - an out working of faith. Jesus told the lawyer to go and "do", not just believe. Jesus stressed that loving your neighbour means intentionally and deliberately putting aside our own opinions, thoughts, prejudices and preconceived ideas. He taught the importance of loving people in whatever circumstance they are in, whatever life choice they have made, whatever clothes they wear, culture or language they speak, however they define themselves or religion they follow. He was showing us that unconditional love can transform circumstances and lives.
37 Jericho to Jerusalem part 2
Psalm 126 Psalm of Ascent
When the Lord restored the fortunes of
Zion, we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, carrying seed
to sow, will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.
This road through the desert heading towards Jerusalem has a steady climb. Pilgrims travelling together for protection , especially for the three Jewish Festivals probably sang and maybe some of the Psalms of Ascent that would be required as they approached the Temple. Climbing the rocky road eventually a corner would be
turned and the City lies ahead
Jerusalem
Psalm 126, one of the Psalms of Ascent, celebrates the return from Exile, a time of laughter as God’s people rejoiced in the “amazing things” God had done for them. Sadly such rejoicing can be short lived, and the psalmist cries out for their fortunes to be restored like "streams in the desert"
We all go through dry seasons in our lives, times when our souls are parched and our hearts seek fresh living water. In these seasons, we can echo the prayer of Psalm 126:4 “Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.” We look to the Spirit of God to flow within us, giving us a fresh sense of God’s grace and empowering us to live fruitfully. This is accomplished as we remember what God has done for us in those testing times. Remembering what God has done in the past, strengthens our faith and provides a firm rock of wisdom, to turn to Him again.
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Reflect
Have there been times in your life when you have felt like a parched desert? When? What happened?
Are you seeking to be renewed through the power of God’s Spirit? Have you asked for this grace?
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Prayer
Lord, thank you for your renewing grace, and the way you restore us and give us new life. Thank you for seasons of dryness that remind us of just how much we need your Living Water. Thank you for the times you restore as streams renew the desert.
Continue to make us new, Lord, through the presence of your Spirit. When our souls are parched, may we open them to be refreshed , so that we might live full and fruitful lives.
38 Gift
As we begin to turn our back on the desert, it is worth remembering that the desert is a wonderful gift to us. The sparseness and dryness of the desert leads us to yearn for
the lushness where the water necessary for life is abundant.
In reminding us of how essential water is for us, the desert prompts us to turn back toward the garden where we can find life once again. Similarly the spiritual desert can be a wonderful gift. The dry spiritual landscape which our souls negotiate help us to understand how very good Christ is, He who brings us Living Water and calls us to abundant life as He restores us.
Reflect
What learning or experiences did God bring into your life that could be His preparation for future ministry?
What difficulties has God brought you through that He may want to use to comfort and encourage someone else?
What has God taught you about Himself – Who He is and how He works – that needs to impact your relationship with Him and others?
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Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:11-12
Sahara sunrise
Pray
For the gift of listening: that we may hear the Lord, - Lord, create a new spirit in us
For a spirit of gratitude: that we may recognize and give thanks for all of God's gifts to us and place them in the service of the Gospel.
39 A new thing
Negev near Sodom
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19
The Israelites had disobeyed God, but He remains faithful and promises once again to care and provide for them. He will provide water in desolate places to turn a wasteland into a fruitful land. God always does new things, or, “He makes all things new” (Rev 21:5).
He never changes, but reveals deeper and deeper layers of the truth, his people experience aspects of God and His salvation in
brand new ways and depths. Even the desert experience can help us experience God afresh.
The symbolic language “I am making a way in wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” is about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, rivers of living water (John 7:38). This is the difference for God’s people. The Holy Spirit is the difference maker who enables us to
walk by faith in obedience to Christ. The Holy Spirit allows us to abide in Him (John 15).
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Reflection
What is your attitude to change and new ways? How do you feel about breaking out of your comfort zone to rise to a better place? Are you aware of the Holy Spirit working in your life? How might this be enhanced?
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Prayer
Lord, help us to discern when you are calling us to new things. Give us courage to seek and follow Your ways.
40 Leaving the Desert
As we leave the desert, we can anticipate the abundant life we will find. It is the desert which prepares us to live life with gratitude for the immense provision we have, for we know what it is like to live without the lush garden.
As we leave the spiritual desert of Lent, we head towards Easter week and the Risen Christ with great joy, anticipating the abundant life he has prepared for us. The spiritual desert of Lent has prepared us to accept this gift with humble gratitude, for we know what it is like to have a sparse life on the burning sands and hard rocks, a life without the lush abundance of the eternally flowing water in paradise.
Nabi Musa, Israel
Our 40-day journey through the desert has taught much. What initially appeared to be barren at first glance, is filled with lessons of adaptation and growth, perseverance against all odds, and a life open to hope and new possibilities.
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Reflection
With eyes on the safe security ahead, what do you look forward to in grateful thanks? As you wash away the dust of the desert what lessons of the desert do you take with you that have impacted you beyond the desert rocks?
The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
Deuteronomy 2:7
Prayer
Lord, I know that wherever I am, You are with me—guiding, protecting, providing. You make a mountain into a way; You make streams flow in the desert; You cause a root to grow out of dry ground. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to see You work when all hope seems lost.
When we are in the midst of a desert trek, God’s hand can sometimes seem absent, blinded as we are by the glaring circumstances. When we emerge, we can look back and see that God has watched over our every step. The journey was hard and went on longer than we thought we could bear. But here we stand. All the way through the desert, just when we thought we couldn’t continue, God’s mercy met us in some observable way: a kind word, an unexpected provision, or a “chance” encounter. The assurance of His presence.