Stories of Hope in the Desert #spirituality #hope

Well, hello, welcome to the Words for Change podcast, where we explore how we can use our words to inspire, heal and transform. Remember, nothing changes until you change first. I'm your host, lionel, and today is a special episode. This episode is special to my heart. It has a special place because many of you know what I do. In this episode, we're going to call waters in the desert, finding hope and resiliency. Well, some of you may know that I've been absent from the podcast world for the past couple of months, and the reason is I've been away in the desert, not just training, but also offering religious ministry to Marines in the United States military, and it's been an eye-opening journey for me, one that reminds me of the profound strength and courage of the human spirit. And so, far from the comfort of home, in the midst of conditions of the desert and the weight of operational stress, I witnessed firsthand the struggles that many young people face missing their friends and family, the comfort not only of the physical challenges that they go through and the training they go through, but also the emotional and spiritual battles that come along with such an environment, and so this reality is what makes this episode so important and special to my heart. In addition to the complexities that individuals serving in the military experience doing these training exercises, I myself, as a chaplain, as a person who serves, have very, very extruating circumstances that I encounter as well, not only as the individual, the person who's given service, but we also have concerns. Right, I have my family, I have kids, I have responsibilities I have every single day, as well as my listening audience. I've been committed to podcasting for some time now a few years now and if the Lord says the same, I will continue. One thing is sure is that God has been speaking to me and my spirit has really felt your presence of the Lord in a very strong and powerful way, challenging at times, and I've been preaching sermons and people that have been getting saved, giving their heart to God, as well as getting baptized. We're planning on baptizing somewhere between 17 and 20 people on Super Bowl Sunday, and so what that reminds me of is that, no matter where we are, god is present. Still, even in the most remote places, god is present. But what's on my heart and what's important to me to discuss is this piece of scripture that I preach about One Sunday ago, and this scripture has served as a beacon of hope for many people. I mean, people are coming down to the altars after the service and after the sermon asking for counseling, asking for to get baptized, asking for all these different things, because they sense a deep need for a spiritual revival in their own lives. And so this is the power of the words for Change Podcast and, as my listening audience, I want to just take a very straightforward talk with you. I'm actually in a hotel room right now taking a little break before I get back to the fight, but as I reflect upon the experience over the past month, I just want to bring to you a sense of hope In this podcast. This episode is for anyone who's going through hardship and tough experiences in their lives, their personal life, trying to identify their reason for being and for living. So just bear with us. But I just want to first say that I thank you for listening, for hanging in there, and I'll be honest with you. Our podcast numbers have gone down because whenever you're inconsistent, the audience just doesn't know what to expect. But know for sure that, beginning in the month of March, we'll be back on schedule. So this podcast is coming out today. We usually release podcasts at 12.01 on Tuesday mornings every two weeks, and you've noticed that we've been a little consistent. We've missed the podcast, but now we're going to get back on track and so just keep listening, keep tuning in. I am appreciative that you're listening to the podcast Now. I want to share this scripture because I think it is a beacon of hope and has served as that for those who I've been ministering to for the past 30 days. It's in Isaiah 41, 18, and it says God says I will open rivers and high places and fountains amid valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and dry lands springs of water. What this verse does? It perpents a powerful symbol of hope and assurance and a reminder that in the most desolate places there is a promise and the provision and renewal that comes from God. So, whatever you're going through right now, I want you to think about that relationship, the career, the thing in your life that seems as though it has dried up. There is no hope, there is no fruit. This place is a fruitless place. A desert is a symbolic expression or really shows us. These are places where things typically do not grow. These are places where you're not going to find fresh fruit and vegetables. You're not going to find banana trees and mango trees, you're not going to find anything that gives nourishment. Watch this Even water is absent, the very basis of our life on planet earth. If we are without water, we don't live. So, even in this place, in this place, in this space, this dryness, that relationship, that career, that business venture, whatever the thing that is dried up, my family doesn't like me. These are the things that I hear from people that I've been working with for the past 30 days. My wife, my husband, is leaving me, my children have abandoned me, my money isn't right, my financial situation is out of control. Dryness, barrenness, a place where there is no fruit coming. Fruit is a symbol of nutrition, something that you gain nutrition from. This, then, is the opposite of that. It's a place where you can gain where you have no nutrition. Now let's dive deeper into the text and understand the pillars that support this enduring scripture verse that can help us deal with the emotional up and down of our lives. The first thing is this the text reminds us that there is hope and assurance, that in moments of challenging circumstances, the image of water in the desert, for instance, reminds us that the source of our strengths are always within us. It comes from God and it tells us that renewal is not just a possibility Watch this but renewal is a promise that God will renew us. It's not that God might, but God will. And when you and I move into the mental space that God will provide for us, we move or transition mentally from the mundane every day, from believing that everything that is in front of us abills becoming due. So one walked out on us. Those are reality, right, those are realistic situations that people go through, that you, as my listener, may be going through. But what this text reminds us here is that God's promise to provide for us doing dry times, and this is assurance. This is hope, right, it's not hope deferred, it is a hope that is assured to come to pass. And what you and I have to do, it requires a level of faith on our part. A level of faith on our part means that we believe that what God's word says is true, that God's word will come to pass. And the only way to experience God's word coming to pass is to trust that God's word will happen and to go through experience in life by which we have to put God's word to the test. Number two it reminds us of God's support and provision. The verse is a metaphor of finding support in unexpected places. God says I'll make rivers in the desert. Well, water doesn't just pop up in the desert, right, but God said. The scripture says God will provide water in the desert. And this is a call to recognize that in the most unpredictable spaces, in our darkest hours, when there is not a flicker of hope, it is showing us that the relief and help from God is on the horizon, that God will come through for us. Number three it provides spiritual resilience for those who learn or lean on their faith, those who listen to Isaiah 41-18. This verse offers a sense of divine care. It's a reminder that part of what we're going through is part of a larger story as well. God speaks to the enduring human spirit and the comfort of knowing that we are never alone, that God is with us through the trials and the circumstances that are unfortunate, the challenging times. So, no matter where you are, I want you to think about what challenging experiences are you going through right now. This verse is a reminder to us to be resilient, and to be resilient means that we know that our boss, our circumstances, do not have the last say so. I always like to tell my listeners, you, our audience. When we change, everything around us change. When you realize that your care is not simply in the hands of your boss, but that God will provide for you, that God will make a way for you. This is the essence of what the text is talking about. Here you have the children of Israel who is experiencing Babylonian captivity, now having to come into a place in space of realizing that their care was not just human intervention but divine intervention, and this gives us resiliency. This helps us to believe that our circumstances will not cannot have the last laugh Before. It helps us to cope with stress and anxiety. Reflecting on Isaiah 41, 18 in its powerful words, are an opportunity for us to meditate on the faithfulness of God, and this meditation moves us toward particular transformation from our struggle. The world can be turning upside down around you, but as a hurricane, there has to be peace in the middle of the storm, and that's what this verse does for us. 5. Community and shared experience. Discussing this verse among peers can help you foster a sense of unity and shared understanding, and it is a invaluable resource that we can all find strength from 6. Encouragement to seek support. Just as Israelites were promised the provision that came from God, this verse encourages us to seek support from God. I always like to tell and encourage you and I that sometimes God will speak to other people. Sometimes the provision you're looking for will come through the hands of other people. God says greater works that you will do because I am going to be with the Father, which basically means that now the work is yours, that if salvation will come to your home, will come to your neighborhood, will come to your community, will come to your state, will come to your city, it's going to come through the hands of faithful people who are out there doing the work every single day. Right? So think about the people that God has blessed you to be a assistance to, to help and provide support to, and the people that God is putting in your path while you go through your struggle, who are simply put there in on your path to help you get through the circumstances that you were going, through, the problems that you were facing. So I said all of this to say that my time in the desert has offered me a tremendous amount of reflection, an incredible amount of resiliency that I've seen. Despite the physical and emotional challenges and in the circumstances that we've all gone through, we've learned how to work together, to share stories, to lean on the promises of God. Right, and that's what this episode is all about. So, as we wrap up, I just want to say this that I've found myself many times in hard places and spaces, and when I think about Moses in the desert on the backside of the Midian Desert, as recorded in Genesis, when he came face forward with the burning bush, you guys can probably hear the thunder storm in the background. And it's just interesting For Jesus, when Jesus in the Gospel of Luke was tempted by Satan and the wilderness. The wilderness is a time of reflection. It's a time of you facing your demons. It's a time for you to realize what are the circumstances in my life, or behaviors in my life, that I really need to deal with, that I can no longer put aside as if they're insignificant, but that I must address these circumstances in my life right now. What are the people that I need to cut away from that are helping me? What are the practices? One of the things, one of the what I've been challenged with, is spiritual disciplines. How faithful have I been to my spiritual discipline? So I've been thinking about that. I've dealt with doubts and fears from my experiences in ministry, the things that hurt me deeply and how am I dealing with those things. Those are some of the things and circumstances that I've been dealing with out here in this circumstance. So, as we wrap up, I just want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone out there. Listening to those who have stuck with us through this time of change and challenge with courage and strength and dedication and consistent inspiration, and listening and calling and sending messages and emails is very, very helpful. I hope today's discussion serves as a reminder of the power of God. So, no matter what you're going through, there is community there to support, and that's what this podcast is all about. Well, I think I'm going to move on now, as you can hear the thunderstorm and rain in the background just hanging out with us. Word for change podcast. We'll get back to our studio in March. Until then, look forward to hear from you more like this. I'm signing off. Thank you so much for tuning in. I look forward to being with you guys in the near future. I want to hear your stories and hear insight from you about your resiliency and your transformation as well. Until next time, keep the faith and remember nothing changes until you change. Until next time, from the desert, I'm out Peace.