Desert Times and the Refreshing Love of God

Most of us go through a season when God seems far away. Sometimes a bad diagnosis, or a job loss, or a child’s struggles causes us to cry out to God for intervention. If we don’t get the result we desire, we can mistake that for His absence. Other times, we can simply get busy with school, jobs, families, and life. We can wake up one morning and realize it’s been days or months or years since God has been a regular part of our lives and He seems so far away.  

And when we do need Him, He feels like a long lost friend who we don’t want to bother for help.

Sherry Stahl, speaker and author of Water in the Desert and Soul H20, joined us at the See Hear Love kitchen table to talk about those times when God feels far away. Sherry has written two devotionals about emotionally wandering in the desert, feeling apart from God. She provides practical tips for filling ourselves with the Living Water and reconnecting with God.

We talked around the table about how we each feel refreshed. For some of us, it’s taking on a daily practice of prayer, so we never feel God is far away. For others, it’s diving into a devotional.

I like to have constant reminders of God’s love and presence. I use my Faith board on Pinterest to create or repin beautiful Bible verses. I have my favourite scripture, Isaiah 41:10 on my phone screen. And I always have one faith-based book on the go (right now, it’s Becoming Resilient by Donna Gibbs.) I have my Bibles and devotionals in my office since that’s where I spend the most time. I have mini-devotionals that arrive in my inbox several times a day. That way, God never feels too far away.

The lesson of the Israelites in the desert is that God always fulfills his promises of a rich an abundant life. God had promised the Israelites a land of milk and honey but disobedience and unbelief had led them into the desert for a season. By keeping ourselves permanently refreshed in God’s word, we are less likely to end up in the desert.

And if we do end up there for a season, the Living Water – which is always available by God’s grace – will sustain us until we are delivered to the promised land.