Thoughts from the Desert

Recently I have been spending time in the Word every day. I usually struggle to commit time to reading my Bible. I am very good at making excuses and filling up my day so "I don't have anytime to read the Bible." But lately God has been speaking to my heart and I have a renewed commitment to following Him and reading His book. This post is not meant to be all "holier than though," but instead to share some things God has been teaching me.

I just finished reading part of Exodus, specifically where the Lord leads the Israelites out of Egypt and into the desert (Exodus 1-16). God uses Moses and Aaron to lead the people, and the whole time the people complain. Their displeasure is especially evident after they cross the Red Sea and God crushes Pharaoh and his army. To the point God has proven on a number of occasions that He will provide for His people. Yet they refuse to acknowledge that God is looking out for them. They continue to complain to Moses. God hears the complaints of His people and provides them food in the desert. He provides manna in the morning and quail at night. And still the people refuse to trust the Lord, despite all He has provided for them.

My point here is not "oh, look at those stupid Israelites, always failing to place the trust in God." I am realizing is how much I am like the Israelites. God provides me with so many wonderful things in my life. I have a job, a college education, a loving family, a wonderful and loving girlfriend, amongst other things that are too numerous to list. And yet I constantly grumble with God for more: more stuff, more money, more everything. I am sad to confess that it isn't uncommon for me to think "if only I had _____ in my life, I would really be happy." Recently God has been putting it on my heart that He is all I need. Matthew 6: 25-34 especially speaks to this. God provides for the birds and the flowers, so why wouldn't He provide for me? Everyday that I take time to spend in prayer and in the Word, God blesses me in ways I did not expect. I serve an infinite God who is infinitely caring for His creation.

These truths are even more potent during the holiday season. This is the time of year when we stop to remember that God sent His only son to live and die as a man for our sins (or at least this is what we should thing during this time). In His infinite knowledge, God knew that His creation could only be redeemed through the sacrifice of One who was holy and blameless. That is infinite love. In my sinful state this is a truth that I need to remind myself of daily. When I lose sight of this ultimate truth, I start to fall back into my sinful ways. I have found by committing to spend time in the Word and talking with God helps me deny my sinful tendencies and serve the Lord in the way I was designed to. I need to remember the Israelites in the desert. God continually showed up and provided, but they failed to realize how much they were loved. In my sinful state I also fail to realize how much I am loved. God did the impossible in the desert, so why wouldn’t He show up and do the impossible in my life? It all starts with faith in His promise to provide for His creation. The moment you start to wholeheartedly believe in that promise is the moment His blessings flow out abundantly.