Please feel free to read a poem I wrote inspired by the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert before entering the Promised Land.
The Wilderness Freedom from the iron fist of society The appeal of the unknown which lies ahead A call to venture out into the open wild These are the sentiments which turn the pages of a Thoreau Classic And compose the wide eyed wonder of young existentialists. For the Israelites however, this romanticized outlook was swept away as quickly as the chariots in the Red Sea. The Wilderness A no man’s Land Harsh and inhospitable The only thing these uncharted territories have to offer are relentless blasts of sand whipped by the wind and the piercing rays of the midday sun. Basic necessities are nonexistent Survival is a delicate waltz between trust and utter pandemonium. Trust the cloud. The pillar of fire. Manna like dew from above. Water bursting forth from the face of a rock. Trust the tangible evidence of a living God. One who’s name is too holy to utter. Yet One who, for some reason or another, chooses to love this people. The Wilderness The harsh realities of a nomadic desert existence expose an even bleaker reality- The wilderness of the heart. A fierce rebellion which deteriorates the fibers of man’s soul Causing them over and over again to bite the very hand which feeds them. Ungratefulness ravishes the camp Unfaithfulness becomes a well-worn mistress It reveals a people ensnared by sin Who have traded one form of slavery for another Reaping the consequences Yet trodding onward in the mire A people accustomed to the putrid stench of their own sin The Wilderness It’s just for a time It’s just for a season Learning obedience, is the only reason Moses’ final pleas ring in their ears- Remember, O Israel Keep his commands Only then will you escape these barren lands A new frontier awaits A Promised Land is in store Yet as they wait he wonders- “Can this people remain faithful for a little while more?”
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1 Chronicles 16:8"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know Archives
December 2017
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Sisterhood