Saturday, November 3, 2012

Mirage or Oasis?

When you live in the desert (so I presume) water is always in the back of your mind, if not on the tip of your tongue.  The desert is a dry place by definition and a strange place to live, as well as a challenge to cross.  Sometimes our lives seem to be lived in a desert, even if it's not the sandy and hot kind of place.  We can live in a desert experience, where difficulty beats down like a relentless desert sun and our footsteps seem to slip, as they do when walking over sand.  Windstorms of misunderstanding and even abuse may blow in our face as we labor across the seemingly endless and unchanging terrain.  We may look for relief in the false mirage that seems to offer hope, like water, only to move just out of reach.  Or we may pray for an oasis of refreshment fed from deep wells.  In the desert times and desert places it is good to remember that there is a well of renewal and restoration just below the surface.  And if we are stopped by sun and wind we need to bend low and dig through the sand to find the river of life flowing just beneath our feet.

Genesis 16:14 So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means "well of the Living One who sees me"). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.

blessings,
Rob Smith

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