I took care of you in a dry, desert land. HOSEA 13:5 GNT 

Have you ever marveled at plants growing in unlikely places? Like a tree with roots gripping the side of a cliff? Or flowers in a dry and desolate desert? How do they survive there? It seems like the odds are against them because their environments are inhospitable. Yet, miraculously, they find a way to live when everything around them indicates they shouldn’t. 

The Bible tells the story of Moses, one man who led an entire nation—perhaps millions of people—out of an abusive and oppressive environment in their home country to the Promised Land, a place God said they could call home. Moses and the nation of Israelites walked in a desert for forty years to get there. Many of them became angry and impatient and gave up on God’s promise. They succumbed to the apparent hopelessness of their situation and figured God had forgotten about them. Meanwhile, God fed them and guided them as a divine pillar of cloud and fire. He was clearly with them! 

The story of Moses and the Israelites shows us God’s identity and purpose. He is Deliverer and Redeemer. He rescued His people from slavery, and He eventually (after much grumbling, grief, and unfaithfulness by the people) brought them to the land He had promised. He redeemed their situation, their doubt, and their sin. Through all that time and all the trials, He never left them. He was their miracle in the desert.  

What journey are you on today? What is causing you to wander in a desert, feeling dry and thirsty, wondering if God has left you? What are you longing for? Relief? A temporary fix for your current pain? Long for Jesus instead. He alone can heal your trauma, revive your soul, and redeem your entire life—no matter what you’ve done. Hold on to Him and bloom like a desert flower after a refreshing rain. 

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 NKJV 

This is an excerpt from Playing in the Dirt: 90 Devotions for Crazy Plant Ladies a new devotional journal now available for pre-order on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.