Rivers
in the Dry Wasteland
By Brita Crouse
“For I am about to
do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a
pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland...
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be
refreshed.”
Isaiah
43:19, 20b (NLT)
Do
you ever have those amazing moments when your life and something you read in
Scripture perfectly align? To me, this is one of the greatest feelings and
reassurances of God’s love for us. It happened to me recently and I was blown
away by God’s perfect timing and preparation.
I
was listening to an album by one of my favorite bands, NEEDTOBREATHE. The name
of the album? “Rivers in the Wasteland.” The name of the title track?
“Wasteland.” Little did I know... A few days later, I was reading my Bible and
came across the verses above. I had a freak out moment and thought, What a crazy coincidence! It was a pretty cool “God moment.” A few
weeks later, I learned a family member had received a severe medical diagnosis.
Wow. Had this idea of a “wasteland” not been reiterated enough over the past
few weeks? Now this? This was my “wasteland.” This is what God had been
preparing me for with these verses and songs.
These
verses were written to the people of Judah in anticipation of an inevitable
captivity in Babylon. God is letting them know in advance that He is already preparing
a way out of this captivity for them. He reminds them of when they were slaves
in Egypt and how He rescued them from that. He provided all of their basic
needs and He is telling the Israelites here that He will do it again.
It’s
the same for us. God may be leading you through a “wasteland,” but He will
provide rivers for you along the way. He will not abandon you. I am saying this
not only for others, but also for myself because sometimes it’s hard to
believe. Sometimes it feels like there is no hope or no way out. But, there’s
always a light, there’s always hope.
“In this wasteland
where I'm livin'
There is a crack in
the door filled with light
And it's all that I
need to shine.” [1]
There
is a whole world watching to see how you respond to difficulties. So as a
believer, remember how God has provided for you and prepared you. Wait
patiently to be refreshed with rivers in the dry wasteland and shine for Him.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
What “wasteland” are you currently walking through? How has God been providing
for you through it?
2.
Listen to “Wasteland” by NEEDTOBREATHE by clicking HERE.
FURTHER
READING:
Brita is currently
working toward her Master’s in Counseling at the University of Minnesota-Twin
Cities. She has called Oakwood her home church for the past seventeen years.
