The Desert

Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her....

"In that day", declares the LORD,
"You will call me 'my husband' ...

I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

- Hosea 2: 14, 16, & 19

The desert is not a very romantic place to court a woman, but the desert is used by God repeatedly in Scripture. He leads a person or a people into the desert to speak to their hearts. He leads them away from every other distraction the world has to offer so they may hear his voice and respond. He led the Israelites out of Egypt, away from the luxury and the gods of their old lives so they could be called his people. He led most of the prophets out into the desert, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Elijah and Elisha. He even led his own Beloved Son, into the desert before his ministry began.

Why does the Church think she will be any different? In the passage above God promises to led her into the desert so that she will know his love, he will speak tenderly to her. Before she can be the Bride of Christ the Church must allow herself to be led out into the desert. She must learn to hear the voice of her bridegroom in the silence so that when she is returned to the world she can hear it over everything else, even if it is the softest whisper.

I believe it is time for the Church to move into the desert. It is time for us to let the LORD allure us unto himself. That he would call us "My Beloved People."