The husband and I tied the knot 17 years ago. I wonder why we use that particular phrase—tied the knot—for weddings. As far as I remember, the only thing in knots was my stomach. And the only tie that mattered was the one the groom wore without consulting me. Our wedding was back when the groom didn’t match his tie with the bridesmaids’ dresses and weddings didn’t look like the centerspread of a magazine featuring events in Tuscany. Had my man sought my “humble” opinion on that tie, it would have been vetoed with a vengeance.

Despite that unfortunate tie and my very poufy wedding hairstyle which I convinced myself would make me look taller (ahem), we’ve been blessed with a wonderful seventeen years.

Last week we celebrated our anniversary with a nice dinner at an overpriced restaurant where one has to slowly savor every bite of the four-piece dim sum. Evidently fancy restaurants seem to work on the Mathematical principle of inverse proportions: the more you pay, the less you get on your plate. (Anyone else ravenous after nibbling through a “meal” at a restaurant where reading the description on the menu takes longer than consuming the food on your plate?)

I’m just kidding. The meal was scrumptious and the company was wonderfully attentive and sweet (not to mention fiendishly handsome).

But you know what would have not flown even after 17 years of marriage? If the husband had whisked me off to a location where there was no food, no drinks, no tables. no vegetation, no people, and no water it would not have boded well for our marriage.

But as I read Hosea chapter 2 this morning, I came across a somewhat strange thing that God (pictured as the husband in the book of Hosea) says to Israel (pictured as the wife):

“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” (verse 14).

Somehow, the words “allure her” and “wilderness” or “desert” don’t go hand in hand in my dictionary—unless, of course, we’re talking about a desert safari with an exhilarating ride on the sand dunes ending with champagne under the starry sky.

All jokes aside, God leads Israel into the desert with the purpose of restoring her back to Himself. In the book of Hosea, we see that the sacred covenant relationship between God and Israel is broken because Israel forgets her First Love. She “prostitutes” herself to other gods and runs after temporary pleasures. But God pursues her. He even asks the prophet Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute, and adulteress, just so He could show Israel His unwavering commitment and unfailing love for her.

But when God woos Israel back, He doesn’t give her flowers and a fancy seven-course dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant. He leads her to the wilderness because it was there that He could get her attention, where He could speak tenderly to her.

Friend, if you’re going through a desert season in your life, know that God has not abandoned you, but He may be alluring you! He may be leading you through the wilderness so He can woo you back to Himself.

Pleasure and prosperity have a way of deadening our senses and deafening our ears. But in the desert, we are more prone to lean into God so He can speak to us with tenderness.

He may be leading you through the wilderness so He can woo you back to Himself.

Be encouraged because God disciplines us in His love. He has covenanted Himself to His bride, the church, and won’t let go. When we say “church,” we are not speaking of the establishment or a building with a steeple (or a big auditorium with a cutting-edge sound system, stage lights, and smoke machines), but individuals who make up the body of believers. Despite our stubbornness and stupidity, He remains unflinchingly faithful.

He knows that sometimes the din of the world is so loud that even His majestic, thunderous voice is muffled. But in the desert, when we are thirsty, when we are parched, we welcome Him as the Living Water.

Today, can we ask ourselves what God may be whispering to us in our wilderness? That desert can be turned into a place of springs when we return to Him. The Eternal Bridegroom waits in anticipation.

 

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