Day 33: Jesus, You Lead Me To A Feast In The Wilderness

“Where is the Lord leading us”, we wonder, when He takes us to the desert places. He is bringing us to a greater view of Himself, and our time with Him becomes a feast. We take in His immense beauty, made clearer to our eyes when earthly distractions fade. We feast on His Word, made rich to our souls when nothing else satisfies. When Moses and Aaron went up to Pharaoh to give them God’s word, they said, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” (Exodus 5:1). David discovered that the Lord prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies (Psalm 23:5). Jesus Himself invites us to this feast: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Those last four words are rich with meaning: “…and he with Me”. Life becomes a feast with Jesus wherever we are, even in the wilderness. In Him, our hearts and souls experience deep satisfaction and real, true fulfillment. In His presence, there are “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). When we are with Him, out of our hearts flow “rivers of living water” (John 7:38). He is the bread of life, and when we come to Him, we will not hunger or thirst (John 6:35). Even Jeremiah discovered the rich feast of His Word: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart…” (Jeremiah 15:16). Our rich relationship with Jesus cannot be touched by the outward desolation of the circumstance. In fact, if anything, the relationship with Him becomes deeper and more meaningful. So today, if you are in the wilderness, perhaps you can take some time, get alone with your Lord, grab your Bible, your notebook, a few good devotional books, and enjoy a feast.

My Response: Lord Jesus, I love the rich times together that we have, especially in the wilderness places. I confess I don’t like the pain and desolation in the heat of a trial. But I do love knowing You more intimately and the refreshing, healing rain of Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.