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Day Two: Challenges on the Journey

Wouldn’t it be nice if spiritual life were as easy as making one successful decision and moving forward? This certainly didn’t happen for the children of Israel. After they crossed the Red Sea they wandered for three days in the wilderness of Shur with nothing but the hot sun, dry wind, and a deep thirst for water.

Imagine three days in a scorching, barren desert without a drop of water. The children of Israel thought, "This is the promised land? Feels more like a wasteland!" Isn’t life like that? We are full of hope, promise, and excitement as things start to go well. We feel confident about our progress and feel brave as we go forward. But before long there is confusion, sadness and a fear that we are back where we started with a feeling of being lost and without a purpose.

The experience of thirsting and having no water depicts a temptation we face on our journey. It represents a time when we feel that we have no direction, no truth, no answers. We thirst for insight about what to do, where to go, and what decisions to make.

In the beginning of our spiritual journey, after we have decided to change and have made strides in that direction, suddenly we find we don’t know anything. We don’t have all the answers like we thought we did. It is new territory, and we feel like we are in the dark, without a clear sense of right from wrong. For example, a teacher may feel ready for the coming year, only to discover that his students’ needs are quite different from what he prepared for, and he feels lost. Or like a doctor might make a diagnosis feeling certain, only to discover that her diagnosis is wrong, and she feels completely lost and unsure of herself.

The temptation illustrated in this biblical story is about thirsting on a much deeper, spiritual, level. It is about the times when we begin to trust in the Lord–and give our lives into His hands–and then feel lost and wonder what is next. For example we might decide to stop being angry, and only then realize our need for help to stop the behavior. We often thirst for simple clear answers to our specific situations.

The Lord provides truths that will lead us. But we do not always recognize them. And sometimes we recognize His true message and yet resist, because the truth seems bitter and unpleasant. We must choose, then, to look for the good in His truth.

Reflection
Sometimes we face discouragement and think: "Why did we leave Egypt (our old habits) anyway?" It seems that the path the Lord led us on is bitter. Describe a time you felt like this and how you responded.

Download this Reflection in printable form. (PDF)

Discussion Board
Share your thoughts on today's Journey in the discussion board.

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