Bountiful deserts

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

              I really love the imagery of the Hebrew Scriptures. Of course there are different genres of writing and purposes but very often there is imagery like there is  in this passage.  Here there is a story that alludes to the time the Israelites escaped and were in the desert.  There is also the story here of idolatry and immorality.  Much of Hebrew scripture is about the struggle to maintain purity of their community and not assume some of the godless behaviors of those around them.

               I can't help but think of the deserts in our own lives or what we perceive as a desert. Our own behaviors, not being true to who we are, succumbing to the temptations of the world and it's materialism. This can be a challenging time in our life and can lead to greater truth for ourselves and our life or lead us down the road to destruction and mindless living.

               One thing that I needed to realize is that even in the desert there is life. The journey of the Hebrews in the desert for 40 years can be likened to our own personal journey  to wholeness. We have to fight to find who we are as persons, be true to ourselves and God and to resist the world around us. This can be a life long journey not just 40 years or more. But let us think of the desert again. There is hidden life beneath the surface. There is hidden water, hidden sources of life and growth. It may not be obvious and the terrain may seem hostile but even then, there is life and hope.

          Whatever our personal desert is, no matter what appears to be happening in our life, we need to realize there is still life and hope in the midst of the desert we find yourself in. God does not abandon us, ever. The story of manna is quite apropos, God will always supply us with sustenance and be at our side, even in the worst times of our life. The worst heat, desert and dangers cannot keep God from us. 

        Keep the faith and know that even in the worst times of our life God loves you and is with you. It may appear to be a treacherous desert but there is hidden life and always hope.

             

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.