“And when people thirst, when those poor souls with parched tongues look in vain for something to drink, I, the Eternal, the God of Israel, won’t leave them to suffer. I will respond by making the hard, brown hills sparkle with streams of fresh water and causing valleys to come alive with springs…”

~Isaiah 41:17-18a The Voice Bible

Sometimes God’s mercy surprises us. That’s what His miracles are, like water in the desert.  Water is enigmatic in the Word, a symbol of God’s mercy.

There may be days when you feel like these prophetic words from Isaiah are not speaking to your situation.  But, I encourage you to listen again. We are all poor and needy, faint and thirsty, in one way or another. This passage is not focusing solely on financial poverty.  This passage simply reminds us of the truth that, in every moment in which we are without God or whenever we are not seeking His face in every matter of decision-making, we are empty. Thirsty.

God satisfies every want, every thirst.  He is our constant supply, opening up rivers of Living Water. God’s water is the source of refreshment and prosperity. His Water is comfort that supplies all of our wants; it is an answer for all of your prayers.

I spoke with a father recently who was concerned about how to inspire his son to go back to church. Disappointing, discouraging words spoken by others had caused the son memorable hurt and he stopped attending worship. The father and I talked about how the most important thing he could encourage his son to do was to develop a close, personal relationship with God. Then, returning to church would happen.

That is the prayer I have for my children, grandchildren, all the children I know and those I will never know.  My prayer is that God’s presence in our lives will be exceptional—overflowing, bursting at the seams, like fountains brimming over in a desert.

When we break away from the cares that concern us, moment by moment, and turn our attention to God, we are like a dry and thirsty land that is, suddenly and unexpectedly, filled with gushing streams. The words recorded by Isaiah are actually God Himself speaking and giving you His promise. God will arise; He will spring up in the midst of every barren day.

Life is a journey. Pathless, because we do not know what’s ahead. We cannot see around each bend. Yet, in the wilderness seasons of life, God provides for all our needs.

My prayer for you is that each daily experience of God in your life is so richly alive, flourishing, cool and refreshing, that you liken it to a plunge in a pool of water on a hot, summer day.