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'Back side of the desert'

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I’m reading about Moses in my devotions and today the writer pointed out the phrase, “backside of the desert” and that stood out to me.

How many times do I feel like I’m in a desert place? Sometimes I think things just seem dry and out of sorts. Too hot. Too much sand and sun, not enough refreshing greenery and springs of living waters? 

I believe everyone goes through times like that. There are plenty of examples in the Bible for us to learn from and be encouraged when it’s our ‘desert’ time. (I know you are just waiting for me to type D E S S E R T —- the yummy sweet stuff! A long time ago, I learned desserts have extra calories, and the word has an extra ‘s’.)

(It’s spelling bee week … forgive me!)

Anyway, back to the hot sun of the desert. When Moses committed murder (WHAT? Yes, he sure did.) He was sent to the desert where he served a God imposed 40-year sentence caring for sheep and learning the lay of the land where he would eventually travel with a couple million people following and asking, “Are we there yet?” or “I’m thirsty!”

When the time was right, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. Don’t you wish God would speak to us that plain at times? We’d probably have a heart attack, but it would be interesting.

One thing the devotion pointed out, God was giving the Canaanite, Hitities and other “ites” time to repent before the Israelites came to claim the land God promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is so patient and long suffering. I get antsy sitting at a long red light. Yet God had given these people 400 years to correct their evil ways before he punished them for their idolatry. 

There are many good things about a desert. Some people can breathe so much easier in that dry heat environment. Some just melt like chocolate M&Ms aren’t supposed to!

Have you ever seen some desert flowers? I’ve never seen the Grand Canyon, but I want to someday. The pictures I’ve seen show the beauty and uniqueness of a desert.

So if God has you in a desert this week, what can you learn before you get out? I remember His faithfulness. God promised Abraham he would multiply his offspring … and boy did he! 70 family members went to Egypt during the famine, and scholars believe about two million Israelites left Egypt 400 years later.

So we can prosper in the desert. I’d say it’s not always fun. But after all the snow and cold temps we’ve had recently, a little desert heat would have been comfortable.

I think sometimes we’re in a desert (impossible) situation so God can show off and provide. Have you been in a hard place financially before … and somehow God came through? Maybe you needed a job or in my case, a column idea. God has always been there and provided … and usually much more than I needed and certainly a lot more than I deserved.

Sometimes it’s a timing issue. When my father-in-law was close to passing away, there were some major timing issues that had to be resolved before the family could get to Oklahoma City. God worked out so many details for us, our heads were spinning. We felt so treasured and loved by the care and details He provided.

When things appear to be dead and dry, I think of the Valley of Dry Bones in the Bible. God put the bones all back together and added skin, organs and those people were alive again. Now that seems impossible to me. So when I feel like I’m in a dry desert, (oops I typed an extra ‘s,’ but caught myself)  I ask God to work a miracle of the dry bones. (I’ve got you curious now, don’t I? Let me look up that passage for you since I can see you rolling your eyes and you don’t believe me!)

Found it! Ezekiel 37: 1-14. Actually God used the prophet Ezekiel to perform this impossible task. God says over and over, “Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

So when you feel like your circumstances are dry, dead and impossible, remember that God might be right around the corner wanting to use you to put some skin on some skeletons and see Him work in a miraculous way … again!





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