Day 1

[dhuffman]

I have spent a lot of my life in the wilderness. Literal and otherwise.
As a young man, my family lived in the middle of the wilderness of Haiti... in a valley called Dessalines. Very dry, very hot. And spiritually was a desert as well. Lots of time alone with my thoughts. I attribute that time as a 15/16 year old to my wandering in the wilderness. The Lord met me there, and drew me to himself. I found what it means to hope in the Lord for both physical and spiritual provision. And the Lord was ever faithful.

Since that time I traveled to the Middle east, including Israel, the Sinai, Egypt, and beyond. Each and every time I spend at least a day hiking in the desert, or sleeping in the wilderness. It re-centers my dependence on the Shepherd. My desire is to not wander away from remembering that it was in the desert that the Lords presence became real and tangible to me. As the author reminded us, Hosea understood that the Lord drew the people of Israel to the desert to propose to them because it was only in this environment that they would understand His love for them. May I remember this as well as he continually leads me in and out of the wilderness of life.