Wilderness To Wellspring

Well, here we are, in the middle of March, and the azaleas are in full bloom. I love spring! Nothing feels sweeter than warm sunshine lingering longer and longer into the night, especially after a long, cold winter. Signs of renewal are all around us, humming their way into our ready hearts.

I love how seasons evoke a certain feeling; you know it’s approaching without so much as a glance at the calendar. Life’s season can be a lot like that, too. Some personal winters can seem longer than others, and we can grow weary of waiting for the bright pops of vibrancy spring has to offer the soul.

Have you ever found yourself walking through a long winter? A season of grief, doubt, depression, or fear, and you keep grasping at straws, hoping for some light to illuminate your barren path?

I have good news for you, sweet friend! Nestled in the Book of Hosea sits a beautiful promise, one that comforts me again and again. “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope” (Hosea 2:14-15).

“Achor” means trouble, hardship, darkness, distress. We’ve all been there. The Bible reminds us, “In this world you will have trouble, BUT take heart, I have overcome the world”(John 16:33). Did you know that there are over 900 promises in Scripture given to us by our loving Father to equip, encourage, and move us forward? The Door of Hope is a gateway to peace, even in the midst of our most challenging seasons.

When we tie the Old Testament promise found in Hosea to the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can’t help but be encouraged by His faithfulness! In John chapter four, we find the Savior of the world sitting by a well, waiting to restore a broken woman. We find fresh hope from a God who sees, knows, and loves us. The Samaritan woman, weary from filling her bucket day after day, finds sweet salvation when she encounters the Living Water of Jesus Christ. “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water” (John 4:15). You can hear the desperation in her voice, longing to be rescued from perpetual isolation, shame, and weariness. And when Jesus reveals He is the great I Am, she turns excitedly toward the town that labeled her an outcast and proclaims the good news! Her season of shame ended in redemption, and without a second glance, she leaves her bucket behind.

Sometimes, the wilderness season brings us to the end of ourselves so that we will rely on God and God alone. The wilderness can open our hearts to a place of desperation that only Living Water will satisfy. Our winter seasons, although painful, can wean us from the world and all its disorienting distractions.

We can be refreshed in the wilderness, and our hearts can be “like a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13).

I’ve created a private Facebook group for community, fellowship, encouragement and HOPE! I hope you will join me there as we link arms in this journey of life.

As believers, we will soujourn through twists and turns, valleys and mountain tops, intentionlly paying attention to the Door of Hope. We will glean Truth through God’s Word and receive encouragement from one another.

Streams of Living Water will becon us, to come, and follow Him.

Leave your bucket and bring your heart.