IS the Wilderness Always Barren (for Lisa, especially)
"A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God",
(Isaiah 40:3 NIV)
Advent is a time of preparation to celebrate the birth of our Savior,
Jesus Christ. Celebrations are fitting after a time of waiting. But
are the waiting times to be viewed as completely barren?
A few months prior to Jesus' birth, his cousin was born to Zechariah
and Elizabeth. This miracle ordained by God left this faithful
couple in awe after Elizabeth's long years of barrenness.
And what of their son, John? When a grown man, he was long in the
desert, set apart, being prepared to witness of the coming of the
Messiah.
For those of us in wilderness lands of pain and illness, we have
mentors in our spiritual history. Were they truly different than you
and I? They were living their lives going forward as best they could.
We have the advantage of seeing the outcome of their faithfulness and
how the times in their wilderness experiences were not barren but
were times of preparation. They persevered. They served where they
were, if only in the acceptance of where they were. They learned
to listen to God's voice and direction. When He was silent, they
waited in trust and faith. God continued to pour out His grace to
help hold them steady.
These time are our own personal Advent seasons. Perhaps we can
remember former times when struggles led to victory. We carry those
lessons with us. Or perhaps, we have been given a vision and a hope
and it is taking so long for the doors to open and a straight highway
appear so we can walk forward. Let's choose to trust God's impeccable
timing and plan for our own lives.
Prayer: Dear Lord: You ask me to walk not in a lonely place but in a deeper place with You. The entire journey is important. Help me let You be my companion so that this wilderness becomes a place of
relationship and not barrenness. Amen
------------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Lynn Severance is a retired elementary classroom
teacher. She is single and lives alone in Lynnwood, WA.
She writes to encourage others as God has encouraged her during 26 years of living with daily physical challenges
make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God",
(Isaiah 40:3 NIV)
Advent is a time of preparation to celebrate the birth of our Savior,
Jesus Christ. Celebrations are fitting after a time of waiting. But
are the waiting times to be viewed as completely barren?
A few months prior to Jesus' birth, his cousin was born to Zechariah
and Elizabeth. This miracle ordained by God left this faithful
couple in awe after Elizabeth's long years of barrenness.
And what of their son, John? When a grown man, he was long in the
desert, set apart, being prepared to witness of the coming of the
Messiah.
For those of us in wilderness lands of pain and illness, we have
mentors in our spiritual history. Were they truly different than you
and I? They were living their lives going forward as best they could.
We have the advantage of seeing the outcome of their faithfulness and
how the times in their wilderness experiences were not barren but
were times of preparation. They persevered. They served where they
were, if only in the acceptance of where they were. They learned
to listen to God's voice and direction. When He was silent, they
waited in trust and faith. God continued to pour out His grace to
help hold them steady.
These time are our own personal Advent seasons. Perhaps we can
remember former times when struggles led to victory. We carry those
lessons with us. Or perhaps, we have been given a vision and a hope
and it is taking so long for the doors to open and a straight highway
appear so we can walk forward. Let's choose to trust God's impeccable
timing and plan for our own lives.
Prayer: Dear Lord: You ask me to walk not in a lonely place but in a deeper place with You. The entire journey is important. Help me let You be my companion so that this wilderness becomes a place of
relationship and not barrenness. Amen
------------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Lynn Severance is a retired elementary classroom
teacher. She is single and lives alone in Lynnwood, WA.
She writes to encourage others as God has encouraged her during 26 years of living with daily physical challenges