Desert-ed by God – Godspacelight

21

by Carol Dixon

On the primary day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they got here to the Desert of Sinai. ² After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there within the desert in entrance of the mountain.

A desert prayer:  Desert-ed by God

The desert is scorching and arid,
….it saps my energy,
….my eyes burn for a glimpse of God;
Parched I pant for swimming pools of residing water;
….I lengthy to lounge once more by the life-giving streams,
….and let God’s provident love flood my life.

Bountiful God,
….Renewer of our energy in occasions of testing,
….you present bread for our journey,
….and is derived of water within the arduous locations
….if solely we all know the place to look;
Forgive our flagging religion,
….flip our fasting to feasting,
….take away our stone-filled sandals
….and humbly wash our toes,
….till restored, renewed and re-invigorated
….we plant seeds of joyful hope
….within the desert locations of our world. © Carol Dixon

I’ve by no means been in an precise desert.  I ought to think about it may be fairly a scary place.  I’ve by no means been a refugee both, fleeing from an oppressive regime.  So it’s arduous for me to think about simply how determined the fugitives who adopted Moses from Egypt felt.  Typically once we hear the story we blame the refugees themselves for moaning concerning the scenario they discovered themselves in – they’d simply been spectacularly rescued from a lifetime of slavery so why complain – however in some ways it will need to have appeared to them like leaping out of the frying pan into the fireplace.

So why did God enable his chosen folks to wander within the wilderness for an entire technology?  Canon Trevor Dennis in his ‘Ebook of Books – The Bible for younger folks’ means that one motive was so they might study to develop up into the folks they have been meant to be – distant from the temptations of heathen gods and the flesh pots of the decedent cities spherical about.  It was additionally in order that they might study to rely completely on God who fed them bodily and spiritually. 

Typically in our lives we will really feel as if we’ve been des-ert-ed (abandoned) by God.  Joyce Huggett in her guide ‘Fashioned by Desert’ says: Typically in our lives we will really feel as if we’ve been des-ert-ed (abandoned) by God.  Our ‘desert’ is perhaps a scenario of hopelessness and helplessness, any scenario the place we watch the sources we usually depend on dwindle and dry up – any scenario the place we really feel we’ve misplaced our means.  Our personal private wilderness is perhaps the vacancy of loss that comes by means of bereavement or redundancy, melancholy or burn-out, sickness or loneliness, post-accident trauma or marriage breakdown; failure of any type.  Alternatively our desert is perhaps the desert of discouragement or confusion, incapability to hope, weariness or disappointment, or an consciousness of our innate selfishness and dependancy to consumerism, to call a few twenty first century deserts.’

In these form of conditions we will study loads from the story of Moses to assist us to know and get by means of our desert occasions in life.  His story reminds us that when prayer appears dry, troublesome or boring, we nonetheless want to return to God – even when it’s simply to complain!  Moses additionally teaches us the worth of ready.  Praying in occasions of non secular aridity could appear as if nothing is going on however as we provide God all that we’re we uncover that the ready time permits our soul to develop up’ and we study to develop into the particular person God intends us to be.

The story of Moses and the Israelites additionally teaches us to hope within the sense that it encourages us to depend upon God’s guarantees and energy.  He challenges us to observe to see the way in which during which God’s inventive love will categorical itself at each twist and switch within the highway and we study to go searching each nook anticipating the brand new mercies God always showers on us daily even in troublesome occasions.

Typically in our desert God supplies us with the assist of a companion, a non secular desert-dweller who has realized the artwork of thriving within the internal desert; somebody who can level out hidden risks, in addition to waterholes and sustenance for our journey – I’ve been very blest through the years to have discovered such companions who’ve helped me on my journey of religion. The ultimate lesson Moses needed to study through the years was that of letting go.  When one thing or somebody is treasured to us, the temptation is to cling, and once we cling we’re unable to stretch out open arms to obtain the brand new factor or perception God yearns to offer us.  Moses (and the folks he led) realized, albeit with a battle to hope the prayer of relinquishment repeatedly.  As God himself reminds us (within the phrases of the prophet Isaiah):  Cease dwelling on previous occasions and brooding over days passed by.  I’m about to do one thing new; this second it’ll unfold.  Are you able to not understand it?  Even by means of the wilderness I shall make a means, and paths within the barren desert… for I shall present meals within the wilderness and rivers within the desert. (Is 43 v11-21)  

We’ve got a Saviour who has walked the desert means earlier than us and who’s with us in all our difficult circumstances in addition to in our joys. One in every of my favorite songs is ‘Be not afraid’ (You shall cross the barren desert). The phrases are so affirmative and comforting. I notably love the model by Marilla Ness:

https://youtu.be/tqo11i6opyE?function=shared

Be Not Afraid
You shall cross the barren desert
However you shall not die of thirst
You shall wander far in security
Although you have no idea the way in which
You shall converse your phrases in international lands
And all will perceive
You shall see the face of God and stay
Refrain: Be not afraid, I’m going earlier than you at all times
Come comply with Me and I provides you with relaxation

If you happen to move by means of raging waters within the sea
You shall not drown
If you happen to stroll amid the burning flames
You shall not be harmed
If you happen to stand earlier than the facility of hell
And loss of life is at your facet
Know that I’m with you thru it al Refrain:

Blessed are your poor
For the dominion shall be theirs
Blessed are you that weep and mourn
For at some point you shall chortle
And if depraved tongues insult and hate you
All due to Me
Blessed, blessed are you!  © Bob Duffy

Photograph by Emma Van Sant  Unsplash 

Catch the second episode of Liturgical Rebels!

Associated