Spiritual Deserts

Spiritual Deserts

Have you ever gone through a dry spell in your spiritual life? Maybe you feel like you have wandered into a spiritual desert where you just can’t seem to hear God’s voice.

Here’s something to think about: When God first spoke to Moses, it was in a desert. That’s also where God’s Word was revealed to him - while he wandered in the wilderness. It was in the desert where Jesus went to hear from God before He began His ministry.

If you think about it, the desert seems to hold a special meaning for spiritual people. David wrote some of the greatest Psalms while he hid in the desert and it was there that God spoke to many of His prophets.

The more we read, the more we come to realize that there is something very spiritual about deserts. In fact, for God’s people the only way to the promised land was through the desert. Why is that?

The Hebrew word for desert, or wilderness, is “midbar”. It appears 247 times in the Bible. The root of that word is dabar, which means word or speech. Amazingly, the Hebrew word for desert literally means, “The place of the Word.”

Isn’t that interesting? The Hebrew language is telling us something about God’s Word. It is not always easy to hear when we are busy with our jobs, our programs and events, in the shadow of our TV sets and computers or in the rush and hurry of life. God’s Word is best heard in the deserts of our lives.

It’s when our hearts and souls are quieted and we find ourselves far away from life’s tugs and pulls. It’s when we land in a place where His voice isn’t competing with anything else. It’s in those moments that we hear God and gain clarity about the world around us.

Does it feel like you have entered into a desert, spiritually? I would suggest opening God’s Word and listening for a bit. It’s an opportunity to hear Him clearly and plainly, without the competing voices and noises that distract us from Him.

Your desert may worry you, but it might actually be your blessing.

Jeremiah 29:13

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”