Prophet of Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Have you ever visited a desert? Picture skin burning heat with very little flora and fauna alive in the barren landscape. The air is dry and difficult to breathe. Winters become bone chilling cold in the desert's mountainous regions. In the Spring, cacti bloom for a few short weeks providing a hint of color to the tan sand.
Walking through areas of a desert makes one wonder why God created such inhospitable terrain. I think of the desert as a long and vast land of penance. Without much food or water available, we are forced to turn to God for nourishment. Moreover, we are forced to look at our inner selves. Is our faith dry? Is our love parched? Is our hope withered away?
Certainly, the Israelites endured desert conditions for 40 Years on the way to the Promised Land. Not all survived the natural elements, but those who did understood that if it wasn't for the Lord, they would never have made it as far as they did despite blood, sweat, and copious amounts of tears.
The Devil tempted Jesus for forty days in the desert. Jesus could have decided to join the forces of the Dark One while fasting, completely fatigued senseless. Yet, Jesus turned to prayer as his saving grace. His Almighty Father gave him strength to resist the Devil's temptations however prodding and enticing.
Maybe you have never visited a real desert. However, your own life feels like a desert. It lacks love and compassion for others. Life is burning up with anger. Your skin feels like it's on fire with guilt. Maybe you are so dehydrated by your own filthy sins that you see no oasis in sight. You may even think that God is punishing you with one struggle after another. You don't think you can take much more of nothing good coming your way. Life is unbearable and you rather die than continue on.....
The Lord wants us to live joyful and fulfilled lives; not lives wallowed up in self-pity, sadness and pain. The only way for us to truly grow as followers of Christ is to undergo desert pilgrimages. Each one is unique and not the same as someone else's. I find at times of spiritual barrenness and dryness the Lord is busy at work healing my interior soul. During these times when nothing is going quite right I know God is working miracles. Suddenly, I will come to the end of my desert pilgrimage and see an ease in my struggles! A beautiful river of flowing water awaits alongside a nice cottage surrounding by trees filled with ripe fruit. Once this sheer abundance reaches me I forget about the thirst, the hunger, the pain, and the heartache. I realize the desert sacrifice was way worth it.
In our desert pilgrimages, we map out the highway to God. It's not an easy trip by any means; however, if we persevere with faith and hope we will make it. We never know when the Lord may ask us to trek out into the desert to really challenge us in life. As a result, we must prepare ourselves when life "happens" and we are faced with struggles and burdens we think will never end.....
Remain steadfast and vigilant in prayer!
I love the Prophet Isaiah because his words give us so much hope. His imagery is so lush and a beautiful foretelling of Jesus Christ and his ministry on earth. May we prayerfully meditate on Isaiah's words as we continue our Advent observance.
-J.
The Lord wants us to live joyful and fulfilled lives; not lives wallowed up in self-pity, sadness and pain. The only way for us to truly grow as followers of Christ is to undergo desert pilgrimages. Each one is unique and not the same as someone else's. I find at times of spiritual barrenness and dryness the Lord is busy at work healing my interior soul. During these times when nothing is going quite right I know God is working miracles. Suddenly, I will come to the end of my desert pilgrimage and see an ease in my struggles! A beautiful river of flowing water awaits alongside a nice cottage surrounding by trees filled with ripe fruit. Once this sheer abundance reaches me I forget about the thirst, the hunger, the pain, and the heartache. I realize the desert sacrifice was way worth it.
In our desert pilgrimages, we map out the highway to God. It's not an easy trip by any means; however, if we persevere with faith and hope we will make it. We never know when the Lord may ask us to trek out into the desert to really challenge us in life. As a result, we must prepare ourselves when life "happens" and we are faced with struggles and burdens we think will never end.....
Remain steadfast and vigilant in prayer!
I love the Prophet Isaiah because his words give us so much hope. His imagery is so lush and a beautiful foretelling of Jesus Christ and his ministry on earth. May we prayerfully meditate on Isaiah's words as we continue our Advent observance.
-J.
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