Aah, the desert

It is not entirely uncommon to hear about the mountain top experiences Christians experience. Whether it be a retreat, camp, service trip, significant life event, or something else it seems like people are often talking about how close to God they felt during that time. And of course if there are mountain top experiences then there have to be those low in the valley experiences as well. The times when you feel like God is so far away you can’t connect. To me the valley isn’t so bad. From the valley you can still see the mountain. From the valley you can still see where you have been and where you are going. You may be frustrated at the climb ahead but the hope for what is next is still there. What I don’t hear that much about is the desert. To me the desert is the worst place to be. In the desert you don’t have the nourishment of the valley or the hope of seeing the mountain. In the desert it is you and a whole lot of nothing. In the desert you can do only one thing- get down on your knees and beg God to bring you out. Aah, yes. The desert is wonderful for this. On the mountain you are close to God, in the valley you see what lies ahead, but the desert is where you learn to truly rely on God. Jesus had this experience in the desert as well. He spent 40 days in the desert and then had to endure temptation after all that. He had to trust that God would provide for him, that God wasn’t going to leave him, even in this desolate wasteland filled with temptation. And after he endured this Jesus still chose to return on occasion to the desert. I don’t think this was an accident. The more time he spent in the desert the closer he drew to the Father. I think it was because of his desert experiences that when the time came for him to ultimately sacrifice himself on the cross he knew what he was facing. He knew the desolation and loneliness he was going to face. He knew that the Father was not going to abandon him in his greatest hour of need. This is why I don’t lose hope when I am in the desert. This is why the desert has become a place of joy just like the mountain top. Yes, it is frustrating and I spend the time in the desert working toward the mountain. Jesus never went to the desert as to stay, and we should not be content in the desert either. The desert is not a destination, but it is a place all travelers must pass through to get to the destination. And it is a formative part of the journey. I’m nearing the edge of the desert, I can see the lush valley before me, the faint outline of the mountain in the distance. And I am ready to move forward, to keep going, to be nourished. But I am grateful to my Father for walking me through the desert, for bringing me through a place that forces me to rely on him for my every need. God didn’t give the Israelites manna when they had arrived in the Promised Land, he gave them manna in the desert. God didn’t provide water from a rock in the Promised Land he provided it in the desert. When we can’t rely on our own devices, we open ourselves up to allow God to work miracles and wonders in our lives that he cannot do when we are in a safe place, in a place where we believe we can take care of ourselves.  So, no matter how frustrated I get by the dry spells, by the desert land. I am grateful to my Lord for not allowing me to live only in the valleys and on the mountain. And I am grateful that he continues to bring me out to the desert when I get too content in myself.