Desert – JOURNEY OF THANKFULNESS

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Exodus 16. “The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death'” (Verses 1-3). Note where they have landed, in the Desert of Sin. Sadly it is apropos. For this is where God would do His winnowing. This is a picture of life as we live it. Often times it is in the desert of our sin that God shows us our hearts. It is there we see our weaknesses and our failures, it is there that the mirror reflects the brightest. God didn’t bring them there to kill them, He brought them there to cleanse them and to give them the opportunity to choose Him over sin. The same opportunity is given to us in our time of desert travel. God doesn’t bring us to the desert to kill us, no, it’s to cleanse us and give us a chance to start afresh. So in the desert don’t whine. Praise. Praise God for the opportunity to change.

The conversation went something like this: Me: Do you see anything wrong here? Singh: "Do cakes have balls in the desert?" Desert Vs. Dessert one letter makes a BIG difference.

The conversation went something like this:
Me: “Do you see anything wrong with this?”
Singh: “Do cakes have balls in the desert?”
Desert Vs. Dessert one letter makes a BIG difference.

Just…deserts? Pictured is a part of menu that was (almost) used at our lunch sale today. The first time I read the menu I burst out laughing, I have an odd sense of humor, and the original menu (for more than just the incorrect spelling of dessert), had me hysterically giggling. While making the necessary corrections I thought about deserts vs. desserts. The difference between these two words is one letter, but that one letter makes a big difference. We view one has a “good” and pleasant thing and the other as a “bad” and unpleasant thing. The truth however is that many times the thing we see as pleasing is often the one that is the most dangerous for us. I LOVE sweet things (especially chocolate), but it is not the best thing for me. While chocolate does aid in my growing out, it is not so helpful in my growing up. Nothing stretches us, or shows us our strengths and weaknesses like time in the DESERT. The pleasures of desserts are often temporal, but the negative effects can last a life time. Where as the negative effects of the desert are temporal, but the positive effects WILL last a life time. The old adage is true: “You can’t judge a book by it’s cover”, the desert may look dry, hot, and tumultuous, but if we walk through it to the other side, we will flourish, grow, and blossom. Desserts look decadent and moist, but leaves us feeling, guilty, empty, and dry. So…desert, anyone?

“They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the water gushed forth” (Isaiah 48:21).

So what am I thankful for today? Learning to appreciate “deserts” over “desserts”. 😉