From Desert to Garden

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

(Isaiah 51:3)

If you could live anywhere in the world, you would probably say that you’d like to live somewhere cool or mild, possibly near a beautiful river or coastal area, somewhere green and lush, with beautiful trees or maybe even tall mountains hanging over you from afar.  There are not many who would choose to live in a desert.  Deserts are dry and hot.  Did I mention hot?  Not many people live in the desert areas for that exact reason.  In Isaiah 51, the prophet  speaks a word concerning Jerusalem (Zion), the beloved of God. The word is this- The Lord will comfort Zion and all her waste places (places that have been destroyed). He promises to make her wilderness just like the beautiful garden of Eden. He promises to make her desert like a garden where joy and gladness will be found.  Thanksgiving and melody will also be found there.  What a powerful promise!

    God is not only the comforter of Zion, but He is also your comforter.  God has a way of making something that is not so beautiful such as a bad experience, a sickness, a state of depression-whatever your personal desert might be- and transforming it into something beautiful.  Only God can do this.  Has it been a while since you’ve felt joy and gladness?  How long has it been since you’ve had a fresh melody of praise and thanksgiving in your heart?  Have you allowed trials to take all your spiritual joy away from you?  If so, won’t you allow God to restore what has been lost?   Let him take that desert of pain, hurt, regret, confusion, disappointment, sickness, depression, and frustration and transform your spirit into a garden that releases the loveliest fragrance—Him!   Will you allow Him to do this in you today?  My prayer is that you will have the needed strength to reach out to Him and allow Him to transform you.  Remember, God’s not done with you yet.  

Away from It All

"So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat... So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed." (Luke 5: 1-3, 16)

In the midst of it all- the job, the bills, the friends, social gatherings, church, keeping up the home, driving here, driving there, needing this, needing that, there comes a time when you just need to get away from it all and separate yourself unto Jesus to that quiet place where all the distractions and all the demands disappear.  Even if its for a short while, it makes a big difference in our lives.  I'm not talking simply about prayer, but I'm talking about reserving a chunk of time where there are no time limits and you're not accessible to anyone else except Jesus Christ. I'm talking about going to a place where your human spirit can be quieted and your heart can be more in tune with God's voice.  For some, this might mean that you take a half day retreat at a local Starbucks to study the Word or taking a whole day where you lock yourself in your room and just take in His presence.   Jesus did exactly this.  One particular day, he was busy ministering to the masses when he had an idea.  He was near the shoreline of a lake when he got a on a boat and had the boat moved a little ways from the shore.  From the boat, he spoke to the people.  In my mind, I imagine he just needed a little "space."  Imagine people always pressed up against him and needing something from Him.  Although I'm sure that He didn't mind it, most likely, He became tired and drained at times.  Sometimes, we just need a little space or a little time to call our own.  It doesn't mean that we don't love people or that we don't need anyone or even that we are neglectful of our duties, but it just means that we need some alone time- just us and Jesus. A couple of verses later, we read that Jesus healed a man from leprosy and when everyone heard about it, many came to him to be healed.  It's right after that when we read that Jesus went alone into into the wilderness to pray. Again, we see Jesus separating himself from the "stuff" of life to refresh himself spiritually and be alone with God. If Jesus needed time alone, then we need it too.  I know that for some, like myself, it's a bit easier to find this alone time, but it's something that we all need.  If at all possible, arrange your schedule in advance (kind of like a date) to block time than usual to be with the King of Kings.  Doing so will make you that much more ready to minister to people and truly impact this world the way Christ calls us to do. Let this song encourage you as you make time away from it all to be with the King of Kings.