The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. Isaiah 51:3
Ever since I visited Israel I love prophecies which speak about the deserts and wastelands being transformed. Parts of Israel are so desolate, I long to see them as God intends. These ‘fertility’ prophecies seem to be everywhere in the prophetic and poetry of the Old Testament.
In modern Israel (and even in ancient times) the authorities ‘solved’ the problem of lack of water through amazing engineering feats. They can store huge amounts of water underground and divert water sources to ensure adequate water for crops and homes.
Yet God longs to bless his people with rain that would turn the wastelands into gardens. This would mean persistent and long term changes to rain patterns. So often we settle for less than what God wants to give us. We’re reluctant receivers. Regardless of what we are trusting God for, whether it’s rain, or health, or finances, we find it difficult. We have more confidence in man-made solutions which provide short-term relief.
When Jesus fed the 5000 and later the 4000, he didn’t provide just enough to go around. Both times there was basketfuls of leftovers (Mark 8:19-20). When Jesus turned the water into wine, he didn’t provide just enough to save the host’s embarrassment. There was an abundance which far exceeded the demand (John 2:1-12).
God doesn’t want to barely meet our needs. He wants to provide more than we can handle. But it requires that we come to him without an agenda, trust his ways and leave the results to him.
