How in the world would the Israelites find their way through the desert?  They had no GPS devices or satellite maps or cell phones.  Moses brother-in-law, who knew the desert, was preparing to leave to go back to his family.  So how will a million plus people find their way to the Promised Land?

God gave them crystal clear directions, that’s how.  His instructions to them were as clear as today’s stoplights.  When the cloud descended on the Tabernacle, they were to stop and make camp.  When the cloud became a pillar of fire and lifted up. the people broke camp and followed.  The Lord’s guidance system was much better than the outdated and hard to use nav system in my car!

And you know…that holds especially true today.  God’s leading is better than anything I might find on google maps or via a gps device.  He has set the story of his love for his people down in the pages of the Bible, and there are many treasures and much, much wisdom to chip out word by precious word.  There are times when I’m facing a tough decision that I wish He would give me a concrete sign to follow.  Sometimes, He has lit up my world like a fire, pointing me in the way I should go.  Other times, He has led me through a circular path, urging me to keep on seeking and keep on knocking until the answer I am looking for is gently revealed like a lingering perfume.

The last year or so has been somewhat a desert for me.  I have posted blogs about a desire inside me to truly LOVE Jesus, not just with my head, but also with my heart.  The desert place has revealed to me my need for a more emotional connection with my Lord.  There is a very poetic song by Switchfoot called The Shadow Proves the Sunshine that captures a glimpse of what I’ve felt.  I have known in my head the good news of Jesus for over twenty-five years.  I have accepted it.  But I want more…I crave a deeper relationship with my Creator and my Savior.

Might one reason for my desert journey be to bring me to a place where I desire more and where I experience true thirst for a deeper relationship with the Lord?  The Lord led the Israelites through the hot desert year after year in a roundabout way to give them time to realize their ultimate dependence on Him, just as he’s leading me through mine.