I will bring her into the wilderness and give her her vineyards from there. Hosea 2:14-15 

Can God really mean what He says here?  A wilderness is not a place to plant a vineyard. Yet, God says that in this barren place, the land from which we yearn to escape, there is fruit to be harvested.

How long does it take for grapes to appear after planting seeds?  It can be as long as seven years.  While waiting, there is work to be done.  The vineyard must be tended, looking ahead to the time when the first grape will appear on the vine.  

Perhaps 2024 has been difficult.  So far, it has been your year in the wilderness. You don’t believe that any good can possibly come of your present circumstances.  But such is the mirage of the desert.  The work of the Spirit is being obscured by the pain.  Seeds are being planted but they are invisible.  They are being watered by your tears and fertilized by your faith.  Your husbandman, Jesus, is walking the landscape and sees the final harvest.  He who began this good work will complete it.  

There are years of my life I would absolutely hate to repeat. One of them was 2019.  Yesterday was Father’s Day.  On this day, in 2019, our son took his life with his service revolver.  We were awakened at 3:00 a.m. by a knock at the door.  Two men delivered the news.  I look back and wonder how we survived it.  Yet, it is five years later and I see the vineyard!   I could write a book about the wilderness and the temptations to despair without hope.  But I could write more about the power of scripture and the companionship of Jesus.  

Be  encouraged!  Jesus is the Lord of the desert.  He knows it well from the time He spent there. Once hungry, thirsty, and vulnerable, He learned to live by faith and the food of the scriptures.  He modeled that the wilderness is not a wasteland.  Springs of Living Water can be found there.  They will emerge from the deep to nourish tender seedlings.  

Jesus, You are here with us. You are Bread, Living Water, Comforter, and You are the Gardener.  Feed us.  Quench our thirst.  Hold us.  And, tend the seeds of our faith.  Amen