The Desert Experience: Wadi Wisdom

He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.
(Deuteronomy 32:10 NKJV)

The greatest danger in the desert wilderness isn’t heat, lack of water, or snakes and scorpions. Ironically it’s water, sudden and dramatic flooding that pours down the dry wadis. The mountains to the north of the Negev desert and to the west of the Judean wilderness get significant amounts of rain during the rainy season and due to the topography of the land and the consistency of the soil, the water can’t be absorbed so it channels down into the wadis.

The only warning of the impending disaster is a roar and a cloud of dust in the distance. And before you can take evasive action, a raging torrent is upon you.

Sheep, because they can be brainless and obstinate, often wander off from their shepherds and into the wadis to drink from stagnant pools left behind from a previous flood. And if they are unlucky, the next flood will overwhelm and drown them. They need a shepherd to guide them to still waters where they can safely drink. He leads me beside the still waters (Psalm 23:2 NKJV).

Another danger is the deep, sticky mud that accumulates at the bottom of a wadi. A sheep wandering off its given path may end up trapped, their heavy wool making it impossible for them to pull themselves out. They have to wait for rescue by their shepherd, who will bodily lift them out and place their feet on a secure, steady rock.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2 NIV).

The message is clear. We need to stay close our Shepherd, heed His voice, and follow His path and He will walk with us safely through the desert. And desert experiences do end, and we emerge matured and with a deeper understanding of God. 

If the Lord had not been on our side … the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away (Psalm 124:2-5).