living loved

The Desert Wanderer

“Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. . .” – Psalm 107: 4-5

Hello, Reader. This blog marks the first of a five part series from Psalm 107. I read Psalm 107 over a month ago and not only did it resonate with me as a believer, but it also reminded me of God’s unending, unchanging, unfailing steadfast love for the sinner (me) again, and again, and again. This became a message I was able to share on a Sunday morning, a song of my heart, and beautiful conversations amongst fellow believers who are weary and needed reminded of God’s goodness and grace. Reader, I pray it does the same for you. Put on those shoes, traveler. God is going the distance with this one…or better yet, why not let Him carry you for a while. XOXO, Loni

The Desert Wanderer. The Desert: dry, barren, lifeless, hopeless. Often we compare wandering in a desert place like a weary traveler who is without direction, lost, nomadic, and hot (seriously, the desert is hot). This wanderer attempts to find satisfaction in all the places, things, people around them, and even their own selfish ambition, and yet, they come up hungry, thirsty, and without. This wanderer moves away, gets a new job, gets married, has all the kids and things, maybe even gets a promotion, (maybe even gets a drink) and yet . . .

is unsatisfied.

This wanderer moves back home, travels, does all the things that are seemingly important to this life, (gets another drink) and yet. . .

is unsatisfied, again.

This wanderer gets a new job, new spouse, new life, maybe even a new ministry, (and a new drink) and yet…

is unsatisfied, again.

This wanderer, like our woman at the well in the new testament is washed up, dried up, hungry and thirsty, and it has cost her everything. And in John 4, Jesus offers her living water, and it changes everything. This living water changes the dry and barren desert to life giving, life changing, and life altering abundant living full of hope and fulfillment.

You know what I love about the old testament, it is filled with Jesus revelation. It is filled with the hope that God loves us in spite of us. And right here, in Psalm 107, we have the desert wander and a glimpse into the life of our new testament hope: the woman at the well, Paul, Peter, the disciples, and ALL OF US! All of us who desperately need the only water that will ever change us, sustain us, and complete us – Jesus (finally a good drink).

Right now, it actually feels like the actual desert in the dead heat of summer. It’s hot. Like really hot. Like stifling hot…(ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic), but seriously, it’s hot. And what do we do when it’s really hot: we swim, we find air conditioning, we drink water or something cool and refreshing, we cool off to get relief when we can. We do the things that are necessary to cool ourselves. And if we can’t do that, what happens? Heat makes us tired. Heat makes us thirsty, Heat makes us cranky if we can’t find relief. We need relief from the heat – our body temperatures crave it.

Our spiritual bodies crave the same.

In verse 6, and much like us today, when we cry out to our Abba, He hears us. He delivers us. He brings life-giving water to the desert place. He gives us the relief and satisfaction we crave, desire, and need to be fulfilled. If you are wandering, lost, confused, and trying to fill your cup with everything but the love of Christ, it is but a mirage on the desert…and the mirage will fade leaving you empty, thirsty, and hungry…yet again.

Weary traveler, won’t you let him satisfy? Come in and have a drink.

“…but whoever drinks the water I will give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14

XOXO, Loni