Reflections from the wilderness
There’s something about the “wilderness” that sounds daunting. It’s uncomfortable, vulnerable, negative. But time and time again, we see Scripture inviting us to reconsider, to read again. This last month, the theme of wilderness has been on my mind and has shown itself repeatedly in various readings. As part of the core passage we read in Florida’s Staff Conference, we read Exodus 15:22-27, immediately after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and start their journey to the Promise Land. For 3 days, the nation walked in the wilderness with no signs of water and when they finally make it, the water is too bitter for drinking. Interesting how God chooses this wilderness experience as the first taste of “freedom” for a nation held in captivity for over 400 years. I can only imagine the stress of walking 3 days without water just to find a source of bitter water to drink from. Complaining seems like a natural response. Yet in this passage, we also see an invitation of dependency on God, of...