They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out. Isaiah 48:21 (ESV)
When we are going through the desert times in life–when we are thirsty and our strength is waning–we can know 2 things for certain:
1. God is leading us. Even when our circumstances seem grim and unbearable He is still there leading us to the good plans He has for us. We may feel lost and hopeless because we don’t know where we are heading, but if we fix our eyes on God and simply follow Him, He won’t lead us astray.
And here’s the beautiful thing: when God leads us, He isn’t far away, detached from our suffering. He is walking in-step beside us and He is intimately acquainted with our tears.
2. He will provide. God didn’t let the Israelites thirst during their trek through the desert and He won’t let you stand thirsty now. Even though our bank accounts are dwindling and grocery store shelves are empty, that isn’t ultimately where our provision comes from. Our provision is from God. One of His names is Jehovah-Jireh, which means “The Lord will Provide”. We can rest in His promise of provision.
And when God provides, He isn’t stingy. He provides abundantly! I love how the scripture says the water GUSHED out! Isn’t that so beautiful? God won’t just barely make ends meet and barely take care of us. God will provide abundantly—OVERabundantly!
In the desert seasons of life, even tiny blessings are huge to us because the blessings stand in stark contrast to our bleak surroundings. But, God doesn’t just give us a few tiny drops of blessings and then fold His hands, saying, “you’ve had enough.” He gives us more than we could ever ask for.
So just picture it: our present needs and our futures are in the loving, sovereign hands of God. Hallelujah!