Hot, dry, thorns, briers, dust-storms, wasteland, parched, forsaken… The Desert

Does anything good happen in the desert?

According to the Old Testament, the desert was for wandering, wars and wearisome work!

And there were MANY deserts: Sinai, Judah, Damascus, Edom, Maon, Zin, Ziph, EnGedi… It seems like God used deserts to teach lessons, and when the lesson needed to be retaught, He re-used the desert.

What is it about the desert that would make good teaching grounds?

There are no deserts in the US like one would find in Africa or the Middle East, but there are dry and dusty lands that you need to travel over 40 miles for the closest water source.  Hiking through hot, dry, rocks, dirt, dirt and more dirt. It would be an eerie environment: very quiet. The air dry, with little to look at, and though there are cliffs and mounts, there is nothing green. The few birds you see circle high (you know they are just waiting for you to collapse). The desert gives nothing. The desert takes all comfort and replaces it with irritation. The desert takes all of your strength to endure.

Hmmm…

No distractions, a sense of hopelessness, a physical thirst, a desire for relief, a need to depend on something other than yourself… The perfect teaching grounds!

The cool thing about the desert is that God was ALWAYS waiting for His people in the desert. He never sent someone out for a desert lesson without walking with them, or meeting them there. God showed Himself and His power most often in a desert situation. And once God was seen, worshipped, given priority often a blessing followed: Food was provided, water was found, a battle was won, a person was healed, hearts and eyes were opened, etc.

Here’s another really cool thing about the desert… in the darkest moments, in the middle of the night, it comes to life! Animals abound, little blossoms bloom, the moon sends a comforting glow and the oppressive heat is replaced with chilly breezes.

Do you feel like you’re in the middle of a desert? A dry, thorny, forsaken place? Be assured that God is there. And if it seems very dark and bleak, take a breath and know that life is all around you.

God has promised that He will never leave or forsake those who belong to Him. (Hebrews 13:5) In Isaiah 35 (a promise yet to come, but it IS COMING!): The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. …they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. (NIV)

A promise from Isaiah 44: God who made you, has something to say to you; the God who formed you in the womb wants to help you. Don’t be afraid… For I will pour water on the thirsty ground, and send streams coursing through the parched earth… This one will say, ‘I am God’s,’… (MSG)

God loves you, He has not forgotten you: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each   other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

We head out to EG camp on Saturday for staff training, then on to Sunday when the girls will arrive.  We are all looking forward to serving together for His glory! 

The above Scripture is our memory passage for the week.  Why don’t you learn it along with us! 

Praising God for the incredible opportunity to work together for HIS Kingdom!! God is SO good!!

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God…”  Hebrews 11:3a

Universe:

The totality of known or supposed objects and phenomena throughout space, the cosmos, macrocosm;

The whole world, especially with reference to humanity;

A world or sphere in which something exists or prevails

Latin Origin: ?niversum: entire, all, literally, turned into one

Uni:

Latin prefix: Consisting of, relating to, or having only one

Verse:

Latin Origin: versus: a row, line (of poetry), literally, a turning of a phrase (definitions from www.dictionary.com)

Great grammar lesson, but what is the point?

‘Universe’, the word in and of itself, the word we all use to describe that which is all around us and as far as our minds can fathom, means “one turning of a phrase”. All that we can see, all that we know, all that we can touch and feel and smell and taste, all that we can imagine looking through the strongest of telescopes! All of that, put together, came from “one turning of a phrase”…

And God said, “Let there be…” and it was.

Go out tonight and just look up!

See the world in which you were placed.

Try to count the stars.

Look at the moon!

And then, thank God for His words that spoke it all into being!

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God… Hebrews 11:3a

7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,

    or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;

8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

    or let the fish in the sea inform you.

9 Which of all these does not know

    that the hand of the Lord has done this?

10 In his hand is the life of every creature

    and the breath of all mankind.

Have you ever watched nature? Whether it is a pet, an animal at the zoo, the leaves of a tree, the waves of the ocean, the way a mountain is carved, or how a stream flows, all of it is there to point us to God. When we look at these things, we are to be reminded that there is a Creator Who made us, loves us, and cares so much for us that He made a world FULL OF LIFE for us to enjoy!

Not only does God create, but He sustains (helps, defends, saves, supports, nurtures, carries, comforts, supplies) all He creates!

He is God.

This is the reason we hold summer camp:  To invite campers to come with us to God’s great outdoors to learn more about Him.

This year’s camp will be July 16-23 at Victory Valley Camp with 46 campers and 25 staff.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates!

Every living thing KNOWS God.

Do you?

Have you made the decision to follow Him?

Have you received Jesus as your Savior?  

Don’t WAIT!! 

The Bible says “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)