Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19
God created the world with such a variety of geographical features. The mighty, majestic mountain ranges reaching up into the clouds. The vast oceans with their never-ending waves, teeming with such an array of life below the surface that it literally seems like another world. The forests and jungles, with their varieties of trees and plants providing a home for animals both small and great. Fields full of grass and flowers and grain providing both beauty and sustenance through their bounty.
Then, there are other places in this world that are much more foreboding and, on the surface, would not seem to have any good purpose. After all, what good can come out of the wilderness or the desert? If ever there were places that seem to have been forsaken by even the Lord Himself, it would be those types of places. What use would the Lord have for a place that, like a wilderness, seems to only lead to endless wandering with no way out? Or how about a place so barren and deserted, like the desert, where there are not even the very basic necessities for life — water and food?
As yet another reminder that God’s ways are not our ways, we find places of this nature playing an important role in man’s history with God throughout the Bible. Moses had an encounter with the Lord, not just in the desert but on the back side of the desert! That certainly was an important encounter. This meeting was the calling of Moses to lead God’s people out of Egypt to the Promised Land. And the route they would take would be through the wilderness and the desert. Since a journey that should have taken days ended up taking forty years, there are undoubtedly many lessons to be learned in the wilderness and the desert. Unfortunately, an entire generation, save two men, never learned those lessons.
The wilderness is a lonely place, a place of hopelessness because there is no way out. Add to that the dangers that are lurking there, as it seems that everything around you in the wilderness is against you ever making it out in one piece. It doesn’t seem as if you have any friends or any help when you are in the wilderness. But God is always with you. The first place Jesus was led by the Spirit was into the wilderness to defeat the devil on your behalf!
The desert is, among so many other things, a very dry place. When you picture a desert, probably one of the first things that come to mind is sand. Lots and lots of sand. A featureless landscape of sand and more sand. One thing that is not associated with a desert is water! And yet, the Lord was with His people throughout their time in the desert.
If you find yourself in the wilderness or the desert, you can be sure the Lord got there first and prepared the way for you to make it through. He will always make a way for you through the wilderness and when you find yourself in a place that is so dry and deserted that you wonder how you will make it, remember your God is the God who will make rivers in the desert for you. Wherever you find yourself, He will bring you through!
Need a gift that keeps on giving? Order some extra copies of the book to give to others Here
Don’t forget to join our Email list and become a Fellow Traveler! Just Click HERE
And, please help us spread the word by sharing this post with others!