Friday, November 5, 2010

Harsh Reality - The Desert!

Nothing is glamorous about the desert. All those pictures we see of sand dunes looking so romantic and real. Palm trees. Oasis. Shifting sands. Camels. In reality, look to your right. This is the desert and this is what I see in part on the way to Dubai from Abu Dhabi....nothing........as far as the eye can see. There are cities on the way that are monotone in color and mosques in white all over the place. But everything just seems to blend in to a whole lot of nothing. Overall, the color of the desert is basically colorless where I live in the UAE. (But I shall only be here for a few more days. Yay!) The color is monotone and drab. The scenery never seems to change. In the summer where temps are easily daily at 45-50C or at least 120F, the heat rises up and there is a haze in the air most times. That is the desert..............

The desert is HARSH REALITY. You can't assume anything or presume anything in these harsh conditions. One can often die in the heat. Water is life here and not to be wasted. These are just facts. In the natural there is no shade. The desert lends itself to a condition whereby you can't hide. In fact, look at that picture again. There is nowhere to hide. That is WHY God puts us into the desert. Some of us go there physically but all of us, hungering for God, go there spiritually. It is the harsh reality of Christian existence. Harsh reality can harden one indeed or................you can look for the beauty in that which is around you. You may have to look hard but you will find it.

This is your picture. My picture. We exist by grace even through the harshest conditions, showing forth God's grace. And we shine through with the beauty of our salvation, both male and female, in the dryest conditions under submission to the One who loves us.

Isa 51:3 3 For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. NKJV

Look to the picture to your right. This one is called “Alone in the Desert”. How appropriate to our condition. Exposed to the dryest and most trying conditions, we live. We don’t just survive folks. We live. Growing. Stretching. Living in the most extreme conditions. We live and not only do we live, we break out to be something that we were not when we entered this place.

Song 8:5 5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? NKJV

Tonight as I sit here in our hotel, waiting to leave the desert in a few days I see that the desert has changed me for good and by His grace. It has been a time where I have learned so much that I will talk about in the days ahead to build you up with a strong love to believe that you are called by God for such a time as this. Do not believe the lies that say anything else.

What else can I say tonight to each of you who blesses me by reading this? My heart is full that I would be so honored by God to suffer so that I may share in His glory. To suffer loneliness, persecution, rejection, trials, afflictions - all during these past few years so that as I, and you, have been stripped down, we arise into the glory of His presence in His grace.

Selah.

7 comments:

  1. What else to say than AMEN! That verse from Song blesses me and have been on my mind on these last couple days. I pray more and more we become like Him, leaning on Him and Him alone.

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  2. Thank you so much with your encouuragement. Pray that I will come out looking as lovely as God is creating you to be in Him. In the love of Christ Jesus, MaryAnn

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  3. It was great reading this and also the lovely graphic pictures of those green growth in the desert! Very encouraging. Thanks!
    With Many Blessings and Father God's Shalom.

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  4. You have a special way of conveying the truth that is set before us all....may we all continue to grow in His grace in all seasons.

    Safe travels and God speed as you travel stateside...
    Multiplied blessings and thanks...
    Helen

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  5. GOD is calling out true worshippers.. Maybe you are already one.. Those who follow GOD by the grace of JESUS CHRIST are laying down their lives daily "fasting" and things of the sort.. Know what you are truly called to do as a part of the body of CHRIST.. know who you are in CHRIST and lay your life down.. This is a vision GOD gave me the other night.. The days of following the flow are comming to an end.. You are called to go against the flow in the grace of CHRIST JESUS... Praise GOD... Dave

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  6. And also.. The ministrys of men are comming to an end.. Yes.. Titles and labels.. You are called to follow CHRIST JESUS.. You are not called to build a ministry.. Ministries are of men.. The true worshippers of GOD through CHRIST JESUS know this and so should you and now you do... Dave

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  7. What more to add! You pictured me here.. Wandering in the wilderness could have hardened my heart, but He poured His Grace upon me, and the "Alone in the desert" who was lonely got a Companion to lean on..and He is reliable.
    Earlier I was a rebel..but
    "He lead me into the wilderness", now He got my attention,
    "and I will speak tenderly to her..." (Hosea2:14) ...is what He's doing now..
    I thank Jesus that He did not let me dry up in the desert. God's stream is filled with water.(Ps 65)

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