Thursday April 4th, 2019 Isaiah 43:16-21
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (verse 19)
In February, we did some hiking in southeast Nevada. On several trailheads, there were bright yellow signs warning that the paths were closed from June through to September because the extreme temperatures cause dehydration, injury and fatalities.
In that environment, it is easy to picture Isaiah’s wilderness and the life-sustaining properties of water. As John 4:14 shows, Jesus offers this water to a Samaritan woman; an eternal spring that will hydrate our inner-most being.
We live in a fallen world, much like a spiritual desert, in conditions that threaten our spiritual lives. Among the first symptoms of dehydration are confusion and impaired judgment. Do we fill our time with distractions? Do we start our day with a quiet time? Do we exhaust ourselves trying to control every aspect of other people’s lives? Leaving our emotional well empty, cracked and dusty is dangerous and can cost our lives.
Isaiah implores Israel to remember God’s provision and protection, to remember the old and look forward to the new. We need a constant source of nourishment that only our Saviour can provide.
Gracious God, I live in an arid land. Draw me close. Let me soak up your love and blessings. Amen. — MDB
Contributed by Hydrate
In February, we did some hiking in southeast Nevada. On several trailheads, there were bright yellow signs warning that the paths were closed from June through to September because the extreme temperatures cause dehydration, injury and fatalities.
In that environment, it is easy to picture Isaiah's wilderness and the life-sustaining properties of water. As John 4:14 shows, Jesus offers this water to a Samaritan woman; an eternal spring that will hydrate our inner-most being.
We live in a fallen world, much like a spiritual desert, in conditions that threaten our spiritual lives. Among the first symptoms of dehydration are confusion and impaired judgment. Do we fill our time with distractions? Do we start our day with a quiet time? Do we exhaust ourselves trying to control every aspect of other people's lives? Leaving our emotional well empty, cracked and dusty is dangerous and can cost our lives.
Isaiah implores Israel to remember God's provision and protection, to remember the old and look forward to the new. We need a constant source of nourishment that only our Saviour can provide.
