The Desert Experience: Honey from the Rock

He nourished him with honey from the rock,
    and with oil from the flinty crag
 (Deuteronomy 31:13)

When we think of desert, we most often see a wide expanse of sand and dunes stretching to the far horizon, maybe a sidewinder weaving its way across it or a lone cactus standing erect against the sky.

The desert wilderness the Israelites found themselves in bore no resemblance to this picture. The terrain was rocky and steep, the valleys deep and narrow. There were no smooth sandy paths to travel on. Instead they were strewn with stones making walking difficult and sometimes dangerous.

In our wilderness experience, we too will face rocky, dangerous paths but God will send help to guide us safely through - He may even send honey from the very rocks that are making our way difficult and causing us to stumble and fall. A little taste of God, something to help us keep going and raise our flagging spirits. It could be a new insight into God, a friend who comes alongside in our walk, a blessing that we know could only come from God.

A rabbi once said that you need to be careful when you ask God for a taste of honey, because He may send it in a rock and he is absolutely right. The honey may come during a desert experience when God is growing and maturing you. But you can take comfort in that trial because every rock, no matter how large or how small, will provide a small taste of honey from God.