“Desert!”

February 26, 2008
Tuesday

Psalm 42

It was absolutely amazing to me As we drove from Adana to Konya, two beautiful places, we traveled through an extremely barren and desolate area. The ground was dusty, the grass was thin, and the trees were sparse. Yet people lived there. It was certainly not a place that I would want to live. And then I began to think about my spiritual journey. How many times had I taken up residency in a place that was desolate and barren with very little life or hope? How many times had I decided that I could live in that place though I knew that God was waiting beyond to quench my thirst with water that springs eternal within us?
As a pastor, I wish I could say that I always live in the lush paradise of my faith where fruit, water, and beautiful flowers grow, but that wouldn’t be the truth. Do you know what I am talking about?
There were times in my life when I distanced myself from God for a variety of reasons. It may have been wanting my way, that dealing with God might be too much work, that life just seemed hopeless...so why not live in my misery? But each time God would find me and bring me to the water where I would drink and be restored.
Where are you on your spiritual journey? Stopped in the desert? Need a ride? Our driver never stopped until we were on the other side of the desert. Might I suggest turning the keys of your life over to God who wants to be your pilot (not co-pilot!) and ask God to take you on to the a land of abundance and plenty. I will never forget that barren area and I pray the next time I am in the desert of my spiritual journey I’ll let God drive!