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 A collective reflection on God’s grace and our chances for renewal Friday, March 14, 2025 |
The support of others Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16 Deserts tend to be inhospitable environments – the landscape is perpetually exposed and unprotected. Temperatures tend to be extreme between day and night. Conditions are harsh, and survival in the desert is difficult. Not many choose to spend time in desert conditions. We generally seek comfort, something the desert does not easily give. The isolation and vastness of a desert can be physically demanding, and metaphorically, desert conditions in our life can challenge our emotional and mental well-being, feeling like punishment (often for unknown reasons.) Deserts are the exact opposite of comfortable, but sometimes getting outside our comfort zone is precisely what we need. When faced with isolating and harsh conditions, we find ourselves in a place where we recognize our smallness, limitations, and need for help. Key to surviving desert conditions is preparation. In a physical desert, we need water, food, the right shoes, and the right clothes. Not being alone helps too. Desert conditions in this life may come unexpectedly (at least in the timing), but we will survive them best if we are prepared. Prayer and scripture can fortify us in times of need, but all the more so if they are part of our everyday. Prayer and the Bible help protect our heart, mind, and soul; they build up our reserves for when we need them most. We not only survive, but thrive when we go through good and hard times with others. Jesus had his own desert experiences, as did the disciples. We can learn so much by their examples and exhortations to rely on all we’ve been taught, to be prepared, to confess when we’ve wronged someone and seek forgiveness, and PRAY: with each other, for each other, on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. “Pray the blessings of God on all His believers” Ephesians 6:18 TPT Have you had your own desert experience? Are you prepared for the next one? PRAYER FOR TODAY: Jesus, may our desert experiences, the times we feel the world is most harsh, be times where we fall back on your word, prayer, and your people to help us through. May we be there for others in their difficult times through words of comfort, and the gift of prayer. We recognize our need for support and spiritual backup, we cannot live the abundant life you promised without help. Lord, comfort us in our hardest moments, and remind us to pray your blessings on those who are feeling parched and unprotected, knowing that there are times of beauty even in the harshest conditions. By Molly Fisher Lent beckons us, a time for looking inward, a spiritual refresh. We’re asked to walk into the ‘desert’ with Jesus. It sounds empty, a wasteland, but it’s often in desert spaces that we can encounter God most clearly. Like Jesus’ forty days alone, we’re invited to shed the clutter of our lives and face what’s deep inside. This week’s reflections will delve into what the desert means in scripture and spiritual stories, how this time of seeming nothingness can actually be full of God’s giving, testing, and close connection. We’ll ponder how the desert, where things are scarce, shows us how much God really provides, and how being alone can make us see his constant presence. We invite you to let the ‘desert’ become a holy place for growing spiritually and encountering God. |
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