Desert

<<barren region>>

Between Egypt and the Promised Land lay the “Vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions” (Deut 8:15). This was the Negev or desert area covering over 13,000 square km, about 55% of Israel’s land area. Even though it was an inhospitable place God miraculously sustained the 2 million or so Israelites in it for 40 years. The harsh conditions should have been an incentive to obey whatever God asked of them so they could get into the fertile productive area of the Promised Land of plenty. The actual journey through the desert could have been completed in a few days and not the 40 years it took because of their stubbornness and unbelief (Num 14:26-35). They looked to what was against them, not the Lord God who was for them.

Sometimes our spiritual walk can be dry and barren. The Lord may be testing us or it could be because we decide to ignore and rebel against the Word of

Look for the good even in the ‘desert’

the Lord. Learn from the Israelites and endeavour not to spend unnecessary time in the dry, infertile desert, wandering aimlessly when you can
be enjoying the productive inheritance in the Lord.