Psalm 34:8
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
“What about my desires?” Many of us have asked God this question before, as I ask Him today. “What about my feelings and my pain?”… “Why do I have to make these decisions?”… “Why is it that every time I turn around, my heart is tearing?”... “Why is my life different than what I thought You had planned?”… “Lord, am I near the end of this trail of exhaustion?"... "Are there springs in this desert?"... "Where are You?”
Out of tears, out of words, out of thoughts, out of prayers, even out of the desire to eat or drink. To just be… Ever find yourself in that place? Are you there now? Do you feel like you are in the desert; dry and void of life? Each time you take a step of faithfulness does it also come with a struggle?
In our Sunday School class today, God used our pastor in giving us a drink from God’s word. Let me share it with you. Philippians 1:29 “For to you it has been granted (or given to us) on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Suffering is a gift. The gift is to believe by resting upon Christ and to suffer by relying on Christ.
My “aha” moment… In my weakness He is my strength! He never leaves me or forsakes me! He is my peace in the valley! THE DESERT IS THE DESSERT!
There is no going from one to the other, He feeds me along the way and gives me drink. He is not a mirage, He is REAL! My Hot Fudge Sunday! My Dessert!
I started this post off asking the question I asked God this morning, “What about my desires?” My desires, and what I thought was His plan, have changed drastically since we moved here from Texas. There have been a lot of tears and struggles. My desires for my granddaughter, Briley FAITH; my desires for my son and his family; my desires for my daughter; my desires for my husband; my desires for me… all different now. It took today to help me to discover the real meaning of “taste and see that God is good”. In the desert is where He reveals to us that no matter what trail of exhaustion we are on, His way is perfect; to learn from the desert and delight in the dessert!
Part of my dessert this week was getting to hold Briley FAITH for the very first time. As I reflect on that day, I think of what her desires might be…
I’m sure her desires would be for us to stop the sadness and rejoice in gladness! Remove the gloom and see God’s glory! Replace the pain with praise! And in the desert, enjoy the dessert!
I don’t know what desert in life you are walking, but just know that God is there. Taste and see that He is good.
Heavenly Father,
When I'm at this point in the desert where I've exhausted everything, nothing left, it's hard to know what to pray anymore. Thank you for the phone call from my dear friend reminding me to remain faithful, to keep the FAITH! Keep pressing on! So, here we are, once again. Through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, I come. I come asking You to please forgive me of all of my sins, which includes doubting You in the desert.
So, I thank You for Your never ending feast of grace! Thank You for Your spoonfuls of mercy! Thank You for the meat of Your Word! Your nourishment is all I need. I praise You for it!
Thank You for the reminders You give me daily through my precious granddaughter, Briley FAITH. I would not have seen the fullness of this gift without the suffering.
I’m trusting. I’m resting. I’m breathing. I’m suffering. I’m relying.
In the desert I have found dessert! I have found You!
In Your name I pray. AMEN!
Me and my dessert,
Briley FAITH.
No comments:
Post a Comment