by Tara Chase, Frontier Fellowship Communications Director
Earlier this year I traveled to the Negev—a vast, sparsely populated desert in southern Israel. In any direction, as far as the eye can see, the landscape is dominated by dirt, dust and rocks of every shape and size. Nomads roam this expanse in search of an occasional patch of shrubbery on which their sheep can feed. It’s an utterly desolate place, a parched land.
It was in this same wilderness that the people of Israel wandered. It was here David ran for his life when Saul was out to kill him. Many of Israel’s ancient enemies lived in and around this desert. It was, and is, an inhospitable place.
The human heart often experiences seasons that can feel like a desert wasteland. Disappointments, tragedies and setbacks enter our lives uninvited and threaten the future we’ve imagined for ourselves. A lost job, a serious illness, the death of a loved one, a dream shattered, a relationship strained or broken, even a general sense of discontent—none of us are immune to these disruptions.
What do you do when you find yourself in a desert place? Where does your heart go, and where does your mind wander, when everything in your life looks and feels like a barren land?
As the psalmist notes, we cry out for restoration. As followers of Jesus, our faith moves us toward hope in the midst of loss, fear, grief and malaise. Even in the Negev, rain eventually comes and flowers bloom. Through Christ, we know that God can restore the broken and barren places of our lives in radical, seemingly impossible ways.
In this season of Advent, we remember that Christ has come to restore, to make all things new, to give all peoples a hopeful future ripe with promise. Would you take time to pray Psalm 126 today for the many people in the world who are longing for restoration, but without hope? May Christ come to all who yearn for restoration, bringing a harvest of joy to those who’ve long awaited it.
Follow along with our daily devotional series for the Advent season.
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