“Some wandered in desert wastelands,
. . . hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the Lord . . .
and he delivered them . . .
Let them give thanks to the Lord . . .
for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:4-9).
Fear clinches her stomach. Emptiness rises like bile to burn in her chest. She staggers through weeks and months as if trudging across endless sand dunes. Daily stress rises to sear her skin like desert sun rays. As she parts her lips, the dry world of her wasteland burns into her throat. With a gasping plea, she at last musters a simple prayer. Help me, Lord.
The blaze persists. Dunes still overwhelm the view. Yet, her escape has begun.
She wriggles outstretched fingers toward the sand-walled horizon, anticipating mist from an unseen waterfall. With a dry, cracked hand, she picks up a branch for a staff. Peace floods into her spirit, soothing away the thirst of emptiness and fear. Her pace quickens. She might not sprint, but she now marches. To the streams she knows from within her. Where answered prayers have begun to lead her onward.
Ever felt lost in the wasteland? Hunger and thirst roil from physical needs, spiritual angst, or both. From health problems or financial devastation to inner storms of depression and stress, life can leave us feeling stranded in a desert-like existence. When despair overwhelms us, we recognize our inability to escape on our own strength. We can either succumb to its ravages or cry to the Lord for help.
A heartfelt prayer, no matter how simple or weak, vaults to heaven. God hears. And the escape begins.
The wasteland will not vanish in a moment, but you will gain resources to sustain you. Peace and hope nourish the soul, equipping you to march toward something beyond your view. A fresh draft of God-supplied faith empowers you to take the next steps. The cross beam becomes a staff to steady you on the way to fulfilled hope. God’s answer to your prayer for rescue has come, even as you await the answer of full deliverance.
Our miraculous answer to prayer is thriving, not only after our deliverance from the wasteland, but also during the journey of our escape.
What’s your miraculous answer to prayer today?
