"A Way in the Wilderness:" #GodWillMakeAWay, #GodsPlan, #RitaMoritz

Isaiah 43:19 “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

Life is hard. And it isn’t just hard for you and me. It’s hard for everyone. You probably don’t need that reminder since this is the Monday after Mother’s Day. It’s also the “first” of many “firsts” for me this year since I buried my oldest son two days after Christmas. I wasn’t the only person who was grieving yesterday. There were women who are unable to conceive a child, women who have miscarried, women who have a prodigal or a broken relationship with their child. There were also many who have lost their mother and some who never had one at all. And, for many, childhood trauma still haunts them.

But it doesn’t have to be about parenting and/or kids, does it? As I’m writing this, several friends come to mind. One man is learning how to walk again with a prosthetic leg, and all he wants is to be well enough to get a job so he can support his family. Another is battling cancer, and the outcome is uncertain. Yet another is still stunned by her husband’s walking away from her and the kids.

The list could go on, but I’m pretty sure you get the idea. All of us are battling something, and that something is our own personal wilderness. I may not know about your specific hurts today, but I know a lot about my own and about walking a long, lonely path through the wilderness. That brings me to the purpose of this blog and the five core beliefs that will be the underlying theme of every blog post.

 • God will not take us where He has not gone before us, and He will be with us every step of the way (Deuteronomy 31:8).

 • God is a personal God, and His purpose is going to be and is being fulfilled in our lives whether we understand the process or not (Jeremiah 1:5).

 • God’s plan for us is that we will enjoy our life in the days He has given us because that is our "portion under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:9).

 • God’s plan is to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

 • Our present situation is only one chapter in our story. God isn’t finished with us, so our story isn’t finished yet. Because of that, we cannot quit (Galatians 6:9).

I don’t want you to think I have this perfect faith or that I’m not struggling with the death of my son. I’m in the middle of my own wilderness and not yet…perhaps never… will I understand the purpose in losing my son. But I’m willing to cling to God’s promises and to find hope from His word. Will you join me on this journey of hope through your own wilderness?

Challenge for Today: What might happen if we, just for today, chose to believe God is going to make a way in the wilderness?

(17-5-15)