Welcome to Day 1 of Part 4‘s Chapter 1. Today, Bettie is bringing forward our first free will offering of acacia wood – incorruptible humanity in Christ Jesus. May you be blessed and uplifted, as Bettie shares the comfort and encouragement God gave her through His Word with us all. Open our hearts to receive Your Word to us today, oh LORD.
Some days the weight of my own humanity feels too much to bear. I am altogether aware of every shortcoming, every wound, and every stain. The trial has seemed to blaze a scorching onto my bare head, and I want to run for cover.
Perhaps you have felt the same?
If we could just hide away, somewhere dark and cool, find a cave in the midst of this desert, we think that we will be safe. Oh, but the enemy of our souls hides in those darkened caves also. He follows us back into the corners, and whispers his lies over us:
“You will never make it out of here alive! You are weak and scrawny. Look what this desert has done to you. You are nothing but skin and bones. And you think there is life for you after this place??”
But there is ONE who speaks a sweeter word over us. For it is in this very wilderness that our Lord has created an oasis. He sings a song and the scent of blossoms wafts up to stir our senses. In the place where it seems nothing good could ever come, the Lord of the desert has planted his sturdy young acacia trees. He brings us His hope that stirs a longing for life in the deepest wilderness.
Are you lost in a wilderness today? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself huddled in the corners of a cave where the enemy’s taunts have fallen on your head. Listen for the tune of a song being sung, and the scent of a fragrance wafting on the breeze. There is a LOVER calling us to His oasis today.
Preserved in the Wilderness of En Gedi
Blazing sun
Glaring sand
Baking heat
The Wilderness prevailed.
Burning pain
Stumbling gait
Weary heart
The Wilderness consumed.
Wandering warriors
Hiding caves
David’s men
The Wilderness protected.
When the curse fell on me
When the evil one shouted
I saw the shadows of defeated soldiers
Huddled in the back of the cave
I joined them, longing to be free.
The rock of parting
It had finally come to this
Forever separate from my home
Longing for those days of youth
Stranded here, starving for life.
Thru the night a voice fell
A lover was set loose
With a scent of life in the air
North wind awakened
Perfume too fair to tell
And I looked from the height
Where the cave opened
Onto the cliffs
Acacia trees small but strong
Pointed to a glimmering light
En Gedi with Henna blossoms
Singing a Lover’s melody
Drawing me out of the cave
Lifting me out of the desert
Into my lover’s bosom
Only in the wilderness heat
Will the cave protect
Will the Acacia grow
Will the Oasis rise
Will the healing stream
Will the Lover meet.
Oh Glorious Lover so sweet
So far above the schemers curse
You brought me here
To find your choicest gifts
And to search the caves calling
Other weary soldiers, “Come and eat.”
“My lover is to me a sachet of myrhh resting between my breasts, my lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.” Song of Songs 1:14
“Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth (the Rock of Parting.) And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.” 1 Samuel 23:28-29
Dear Lord,
Will you open our eyes to see your strong and sturdy Acacia Trees growing in the midst of this wilderness place? Show us how they point the way to the springs of life set up in the midst of the caves of hiding there.
For you are strong and incorruptible like those Acacia Trees. You are the Sign given by your Father to point us to Life Everlasting. You are the choicest of gifts, the blossoms of the Henna Plant with fragrance of life not death.
Thank you for the healing water that flows from your throne in Heaven, reaching even unto us.
Amen
Shalom Aleh 