“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (NIV)
A number of years ago I was climbing a mountain in Africa and one day after having set up camp we went looking for water. The Alpine desert is a dry and lifeless place, scattered rocks, occasional small hardy plants, not much else. After a while we found a pool of green, stagnant water – I can still smell it! But beggars can’t be choosers and we proceeded to filter the water and add some purification tablets (we doubled the dose).
What a contrast the following day when we came across a small stream - fresh, cold, clean mountain water and along the edges of the stream plants brought life and colour. It was the best water I have ever tasted.
Life can be a bit like that sometimes. In the wilderness, we look for water and all we can find are the stagnant experiences of the past that do little to quench our thirst. But be encouraged, God is doing a new thing, even though you may not perceive it, He is making a way for you in this wilderness. Keep moving on, keep your eyes fixed on Him, there are streams of living water waiting for you and it is going to be the best water you have ever tasted!