One morning in Lebanon, I sat on the couch in our hostel’s communal space. I held my bible in my hands and looked at it. Reading it seemed like a chore. I knew I should read it, but my heart wasn’t in it. For the past couple weeks, I had felt disconnected from God.
I prayed, “Oh Lord, I want to want to read this, but right now I just don’t feel like reading it. I need you to restore my passion for You and Your Word. I feel like our relationship and my heart is stale. I need You to ignite my heart. I want deeper intimacy with you, Jesus.”
I played with my bible and flipped through the pages. Immediately, it fell open to Isaiah 35. As I read, my eyes widened and my heart began to beat faster. The Lord also lead me to a few other chapters, and He particularly highlighted the following passages from Isaiah 35 and 43:
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
and streams will water the wasteland.
The parched ground will become a pool,
and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Isaiah 35:6-7
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.
Isaiah 43:19
Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
Isaiah 43:1-2
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
Isaiah 35:10
If you have been following my journey, you may recall a couple of my previous posts (In the Pressing and Beauty in the Wilderness) in which I mention how the Lord has been taking me through a difficult and painful wilderness season.
After reading these passages, the Lord opened my eyes to the ways He had been sustaining me and providing for me in the wilderness. Now I can feel Him gently tending to and cultivating my heart. I can see the value of the wilderness and how beautiful it can be.
It is still the desert, but it is no longer a barren wasteland. Life is thriving within it. Rivers are watering the dry land. Grass is growing. Flowers are blooming.
I know that in this season, I am being prepared for something. The Lord is restoring my hope. I feel that He is going to bring me out of the wilderness very soon. He is doing a new work in me, and He is getting ready to reveal Himself in big ways.
It is Month 5, and we are now in Jordan!
We also have new teams, and my team is called Chosen to Reveal! We are a powerhouse, and God is going to do some wild things through this team of fierce women. I am very excited and expectant for what God has in store for us in this next season of the Race.
Over the last few nights, we have been sharing our testimonies, one-by-one. Austin shared her testimony last night, and afterward the rest of us prayed over her. There was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. During the prayer, Joelle got a picture of a man that didn’t belong standing behind us. She prayed against it silently, and then it was replaced with an angel. So, we spent some time playing worship music, singing, and praying over each room.
Satan is scared. He doesn’t like what we’re doing. He hates the friendship and the intimacy we’re cultivating. He knows that something powerful is happening here. He knows that so much healing and restoration is going to happen. So, he’s going to attack. He’s going to try to confuse, condemn, scare, tempt, and derail us. Please pray for my team, as well as my squad!
