Transforming

Isaiah 35:7 AMPC

And the burning sand and the mirage shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lay resting, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

God can do what seems impossible to humans.

He is the Creator who made everything out of nothing, by simply speaking it into being.

So should I be surprised at His transforming power in my desert times?

In this verse, the promise is that mirages are to become realities.

Instead of burning sand, cooling pools of water for tired and scorched feet. Trudging through the daily drudge of routine without any sign of refreshment in sight - hope can seem like a mirage.

During deserts of the soul I become thirsty for living water - something that the world can never satiate. No matter how alluring worldly pleasures look, they are mirages. They flatter to deceive.

Only Jesus can provide that real inner living water for my thirsty soul:

John 7:38 AMPC

He who believes in Me as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.

Consider Abraham and Sarah, longing for a child of their own, pretty much giving up, as Sarah was long past the menopause.

But the Lord made the "mirage" of a son for them - reality in the birth of Isaac..

Romans 4:17

As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

The last part of verse 7 above: "in the haunt of jackals, where they lay resting, shall be grass with reeds and rushes" reminds me of the vibrant scene at Qasr el Yahud, the original baptising site, north of the Dead Sea. The way to it is via a desert road. There, in the midst of dryness, a surprising oasis: the Jordan River flows, bringing lush reeds and rushes. I can imagine those parched jackals coming to drink there and rest in the shade.

The Holy Spirit is my Jordan River, transforming my desert into a place of refreshment and rest.

As it says in Psalm 23 - He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul.