God will make a way

“I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

Isaiah 43:19b [KJV]

Flinders Ranges SA

There are many descriptions of God’s love in the Bible, but one beautiful passage is found in Isaiah 43. Here, God declares His love for Israel. He reminds them of how He has taken care of them in the past and promises to always look after them. There are many precious gems in the chapter, but the end of verse 19 stood out to me. God says, “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert”. While this will be fulfilled for Israel literally, this passage has spiritual application for all children of God today.

I think the reason this phrase caught my eye is that lately I’ve been overwhelmed by multiple long-term priorities. I’ve had to keep reminding myself, “Where the Lord leads, the Lord enables”. In Isaiah 43:19, the ‘way in the wilderness’ speaks of the Lord’s leading, and the ‘rivers in the desert’ speak of the Lord’s gracious enabling and provision.

We need both the Lord’s leading and enabling in life. What’s the point of knowing where to go, but not having the essentials we need to reach it? Or what’s the point of having means, but not knowing what you are supposed to achieve? Let’s look at both God’s leading and provision in turn.

God makes a way in the wilderness. This speaks of God’s leading. Isaiah’s listeners would immediately have thought of Israel’s travels through the wilderness. For forty years, all the way from Egypt to Canaan, “the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21). The Israelites weren’t following roads, maps, GPS, the stars, their own feelings or even a human leader. They were following God Himself. This is a good reminder for us. Who or what are we following? It’s tempting to stop following God and instead start following people, feelings, traditions, the love of money, fads or even superstitions. Yet in Luke 9:23, Jesus “said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21b). Wildernesses are scary places, particularly when you aren’t sure where you are headed. But the Lord was with the Israelites. He is with us today too, through the Holy Spirit who lives inside each believer (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our prayer needs to be like the Psalmist’s, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psalm 143:10). Faith results in God showing us His will, as Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” When you don’t know where to go next, what to prioritise, or how to overcome a blockage, turn with your whole heart to the God who makes a way in the wilderness.

God also makes rivers in the desert. Elsewhere in Scripture, the same word translated here as ‘rivers’ is translated ‘floods’. God doesn’t grudgingly measure out a small amount of what we need, He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). There are at least three occasions where the Israelites lacked water in the desert, and God abundantly supplied. In Exodus 15, the water at Marah was bitter and undrinkable, and yet God miraculously made the bitter waters sweet. In Exodus 17, where God tells Moses to smite a rock with his rod, and “there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel” (v6b). In Numbers 20, when the Israelites again lacked water, “Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also” (v11). God is good to us. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. God makes us willing and able to do what He wants. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”. God supplies abundantly. Therefore our prayer should be, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:6).

How do I know, when I have a thumping migraine, that this blog post will be finished and posted today? How do you know, when you don’t feel like going soul winning, that you’ll find a love and strength beyond your capacity to go? How do you know, when another burden appears, that it need not crush you? How do we know, when we’ve reached the end of our physical and emotional capacity, that we can keep serving God? Because of this truth: that where the Lord leads, the Lord enables. The Apostle Paul knew this was true, “And [God] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

If God leads us somewhere, He will enable us and supply all we need to fulfil His will. Whatever circumstances we face, may we place our faith in our God, the one who makes “a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert”.