Roads and rivers...

    For the past few weeks, I have been reading the book of Isaiah. I have found some of my favorite verses of encouragement and strength there. One of those verses is the theme verse that heads this blog for this season: “Behold I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 4:19). 
    Although I generally have an idea of what “wilderness” and “desert mean and can even conjure up a picture in my mind of what each looks like, I still wanted to see if there was more to these words than just my general understanding.
    According to National Geographic’s online definition, “a wilderness is an area of land that has been largely undisturbed by modern human development" and usually lacks "roads, buildings and other artificial structures.” Deserts, on the other hand,  "are areas that receive very little precipitation” (rainfall).
    As I look at these definitions, I see God’s promises standing out in this verse. He promises to “make a road in the wilderness.” In short, God is the One who will create a way where man may not or cannot. So, no matter how hopeless and lost we may feel in our wilderness season, God is the One who will guide us through safely. The children of Israel wandered around in the wilderness and took longer than they should have taken simply because they refused God’s leadership and guidance. He was going to guide them safely through to their destination but they had to trust Him. We too have to trust God as we go through those difficult seasons. He will guide us, He will direct us in the way we should go, He will create the road that will lead us to where we need to be.
    The fact that a desert is an area with very little rainfall catches my attention. There is little chance of finding streams, ponds or even rivers. Yet, God is saying that He will not only make “a river” but “rivers” in this dry area. Only God can produce an abundance of water in an area where little rain falls. He has to do it because we certainly can’t! I am encouraged because while we are in those difficult seasons God will sustain us. It would be nice to speed through those deserts but many times we can’t. We cry out to God, “Lord how long!” not even realizing that God is sustaining and keeping us while we are in our wilderness or desert. The Israelites went through this. As they journeyed through the wilderness, God not only guided them but sustained, protected and provided for them. He provided food (Exodus 16:15) and water (Deuteronomy 8:15) and their clothes and shoes did not wear out during their forty years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 29:5).
    Even as I go through my own challenging seasons, God ever so often reminds me that He is guiding and sustaining me every step of the way. At times, when fear and discouragement rise up, God reminds me that I am not alone, He is with me. This gives me the strength and motivation to keep going and to keep trusting that He will get me through.
    Even as you go through, and the journey seems never-ending, remember that as God’s child you can trust that He is with you, He will sustain you and He will guide you. He will do it because when we can't He most certainly can!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so now. As God’s child, you have His promised presence - His presence that covers, protects and sustains you as you journey through your difficult seasons. 

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