The Desert

Isaiah 41:17-20 (The Message)

17-20"The poor and homeless are desperate for water, 
   their tongues parched and no water to be found.
But I'm there to be found, I'm there for them, 
   and I, God of Israel, will not leave them thirsty.
I'll open up rivers for them on the barren hills, 
   spout fountains in the valleys.
I'll turn the baked-clay badlands into a cool pond, 
   the waterless waste into splashing creeks.
I'll plant the red cedar in that treeless wasteland, 
   also acacia, myrtle, and olive.
I'll place the cypress in the desert, 
   with plenty of oaks and pines.
Everyone will see this. No one can miss it— 
   unavoidable, indisputable evidence
That I, God, personally did this. 
   It's created and signed by The Holy of Israel.

Have you ever gone through a "dry spell" in your relationship with God? When you know He's there, and He has promised that His Word will not return void (Isaiah 55), yet it doesn't feel like you are growing? Or you have your daily quiet time and you are in conversation with God, yet it feels more like a routine and less like a time of joy? 

I used to think that this was abnormal, that I must be doing something wrong. Why don't I always desire God? But I soon found out that this is something that many people experience. It doesn't mean that God has walked off and that's why He feels far away, but it is a time for growth in my faith.

I came across this passage the other day and realized that I was the poor, the homeless, the needy, and I needed God. And He was promising to be my water, what I need. Through my "in the desert" experience I know that I will be stronger - and in the end, it is all for God's glory, that He might be known. And that's what I want for my life ultimately.