The Desert of Life

nam-eno · Newbie Joined: Jul 05, 2007 Posts: 77 Status: **Offline**

070610-30

As we pass through the desert of life, God walks with us. He has given us many ways in which we may remember Him, feel Him, and keep Him in our lives.

We all come to our belief in God through different paths and for different reasons. In some cases, we are exposed through the teaching of our parents. We attend church with them as children, but we do not know, we do not truly understand.

In other cases, we are never really exposed to God as children, yet, He is surely there, waiting for us to open our hearts.

For others, we are exposed to false religions, false promises, false gods; and despite all that we allow to deceive us, there is an emptiness inside.

In other cases, as we grow to adulthood and search our independence, we cast off our parents and rebel against what we were taught as children. We rebel against God, for was He not part of our parents beliefs, the beliefs from which we are seeking freedom? By freeing ourselves of the beliefs and values of our parents, are we not freeing ourselves from the bonds of childhood?

Regardless of the path of how we fell away or came to seek false gods, we are left with an emptiness. Perhaps it is an emptiness we can't quite explain, but it is an emptiness that follows us everywhere. We may attempt to deny it exists, but it is still there. We may attempt to fill it with false happiness, but it is a hole that cannot be filled with the materials of this world.

It is an emptiness because we do not allow the one and true God in our life. We seek to see things only on our terms. We may seek to deny the existence of any god, that â€œweâ€ are somehow supreme. We may seek to fulfill ourselves through the pleasures of the world. Perhaps we may believe in something greater than ourselves, but we seek a god made up by men or myth or whatever new way we chose to create god in our image, but it is not the one true God, three persons in one being, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And so, it may be a friend, a missionary, a parent, an aunt, an uncle, or grandparent; it may be a spouse or child; something someone said; and suddenly we realize the emptiness and our need for God's Love, His grace, His peace. It may be a tragedy that turns us away from Him; it may be when we hit rock bottom that we turn back to Him.

Our first step is to turn in the direction of our Lord, to seek to know Him. And when we turn, we realize our sin and our weakness which causes us to continue to sin. Blessed are those who listen to the word of the Lord and open their hearts to His voice. Should He call, harden not your hearts.

As Judas handed Jesus over and betrayed our Lord, I know I will sin. Oh Lord, I am tired of my sin and the emptiness it brings me. I know I am weak and only with Your strength will I be able to resist temptation. Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Amen.

Nam Eno