Midbar Dependence

[dhuffman]

In my travels to Israel, I too spent time in the wilderness among the Bedouin shepherds. I really appreciated how Laniak emphasized the Akkadian word for “Eden” which refers to verdant wilderness. Meaning, a wilderness with a burst of oasis. I learned this there too, that there was a garden IN Eden, but Eden itself wasn’t only a garden.
This again is a deep lesson on dependence on God. In many seasons of life, I found myself in difficult circumstances. Painful times where I felt lost and lonely. In those times of wilderness its easy to get discouraged. Yet a lesson from the shepherd is that God did not lead me into a wilderness to abandon me. In fact there are things he wants to teach me in the desert, like trusting him for his provision, protection and comfort. Although I have walked with Jeshua for so long, I fear that like Israel I am slow at learning these important lessons.