From Desert to Dessert

I am fasting bread and dairy products during Lent.  It is true I am killing two birds with one stone, because I am suspicious that I am allergic to one or both of these items.  However, one of the things I’ve been meditating on is that Jesus is the Bread of Life.  When I crave a crusty, cavernous, buttery slice of Italian bread, I remind myself that He is my satisfaction and delight, not a chunk of bread. No easy feat for a bread lover like myself.

I find it interesting that during the first week of Lent the Book of Common Prayer has the saint meditating on this as well.  One of the first Lenten Scriptures I studied was in Deut. 8.

“And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”

God guides us through desert times where there is no bread in sight.  He feeds us with something that we don’t recognize, and many times don’t care for.  During these times we learn to depend on Him and cling to His Word more than anything.  It is in a time such as this that we taste and see that the Lord is good.  It is in times like these that we go from desert to dessert.  From dry and hungry moments when we cry out,”God, Where are you?” to moments when we hold manna in our hands and question, “What is this?” to at last the moment when we sigh, “Ah, this is sweeter than the honeycomb!”

No matter where you are on this journey towards epiphany, enjoy the ride.  When it’s all over and you look back at your desert experiences, you’ll see His hand the entire way.  The whole time He was only preparing a fabulous dessert to enjoy at the end of the day!

Feast on God’s Word!