Blooming in the Desert Wild
contributed by Berry Hudson
One of the more popular things to photograph is desert flowers. Those unique plants have found a way to survive and bloom in extreme conditions. In fact, it’s where they bloom that creates fascination. Watered and cultivated plants in a greenhouse can be beautiful, but it’s no surprise that the right conditions produce good results. The desert flower, however, has life and beauty in a place where it appears that it just shouldn’t exist.
One of the main themes of the Bible is life in the desert, or wilderness. From the points of God creating our world and throughout the story of how he is redeeming it, the desert, the wilderness, is a surprisingly important place. Adam was formed out of dust from the dry wilderness (Gen 2:7). Adam and Eve were put out of the garden into the harsh climate of an uncultivated world; Abraham was called to travel through the desert to the promised land (Gen 12). Moses met God in the wilderness (Ex 3) and then led God’s people through their desert wanderings for 40 years. John the Baptist was a “voice crying out in the wilderness” (John 1:23 and Isa 40:3) that announced the Messiah’s arrival to redeem the world. Jesus faced his temptation from Satan in the desert wilderness (Luke 4) and also went out into the desert to meet with God the Father (Mark 1:35).
We could go on, but at this point, the picture should begin to focus. There is something unique and powerful about this most unpleasant place that cannot be ignored. If we are going to understand not just what God did with his people throughout biblical times but with us today, we must grapple with why this place was so important. Though not many of us will live anywhere close to the wild desert we have mentioned so far, our lives will (and as we will see, must) at times feel like a harsh and unforgiving place. But if we push through the unpleasantness, there we will see how God can produce life in a lifeless place. Like the desert flower that is able to produce beauty despite where it grows—which only makes it more stunning—our God intends to work in us a sturdy and resilient life that is more amazing given how and where He produces it. It’s the very way he reveals His true power and grace.
In several following posts, we will look more deeply into how God works in us in the wild desert times. However, we will never understand what He may be doing unless we can adjust to the desert climate and prime ourselves to grow there. So, let’s begin with a simple but challenging question: when we are in the desert wilderness, do we recognize it? In Exodus 16, the Lord had just delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians through the Red Sea. An amazing event that apparently had very little effect on the Israelites, as within a few weeks, they began to grumble and look back literally and figuratively to Egypt, remembering how “good” life was there (Ex 16:3). After God provides manna and quail to eat, Ex. 16:10 says they looked “toward” the desert and saw the glory of the Lord’s presence. The picture is pretty clear; the Lord was very purposefully leading them into the desert wilderness.
When we find ourselves in a difficult space, we can be a lot like the Israelites. “This can’t be happening to me. How can I make this stop as soon as possible? How can I get back to a more comfortable spot? Life was much better yesterday, last week, and last year.” These are understandable reactions; they just don’t help us get our bearings for the journey ahead. The Israelites were not prepared to meet the challenge of the desert wilderness while their eyes were fixed on what was behind them. It was a great mercy to behold the glory of the Lord in the pillar of cloud—if they would look. There were challenges ahead, but the Lord was there. Would they see Him or only the harsh and unwelcoming climate that surrounded them? That was THE question—for them and us. When God takes us into the wilderness, we never go alone. He is there to provide what we need, to give himself as our direction, our comfort, our hope.
We face pain, failure, disappointment, or any other trial; there are many things that try to grab our attention. We can focus on the intensity of the pain, we can escape to pleasant thoughts of easier days, and we can numb ourselves with activities that distract from the reality we’d rather not think about. Those things may have a place here and there on the journey, but they don’t help if they keep us from seeing about it. One thing that is essential—God is there, He is with us, and He stands ready to provide what we need for the journey. Far from a nice thought, this is real help. God comes with delivering power, with practical necessities, real protection, and ultimately a Son who conquered the desert wilderness so that we know it’s not our home. It’s the place we come to know the God who’s already provided that and all other needs past, present, and future.
Join me as we take a closer look at much more that God will show us in His word regarding the desert wilderness. We can rest in confidence. He is preparing us for the journey ahead with a trust and closeness with Him that happens only when we see it’s the only way to survive.