Desert Riches: Finding Abundance in the Barren Places

There was a time in my life when I wandered in the desert of depression and anxiety for decades. During that season, after moving back to Rhode Island from Minnesota, I longed deeply for the vibrant church fellowship I had left behind. In Minnesota, I was immersed in teaching that celebrated the reality of a Christ in us—His life experienced and expressed through us. But in Rhode Island, the messages I encountered felt sterile, rooted in the Law, rigid obedience, and an inevitability of sinning in thought, word, and deed as a Christian. That barren spiritual landscape compounded my struggles until I rediscovered the full truth of exchanging my self-centered, independent life in Adam for the fullness of life in Christ. This transformation breathed new life into what had been a spiritual and emotional wasteland. Today’s Abide Above devotional reminds me vividly of how God uses the desert to lead us into a deeper experience of His life within us.

God’s Purpose in the Desert

Jesus invited His disciples to “come ye yourselves apart, into a desert place, and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). The desert often symbolizes desolation, trial, and discomfort. Yet, in God’s hands, it becomes a place of astonishing transformation and provision.

When God led me into the desert, it felt as though everything I depended on had been stripped away. I missed the spiritual nourishment I had received in Minnesota, where teachings on the indwelling life of Christ were alive and rich. In Rhode Island, the focus on rigid adherence to the Law left me spiritually parched. Yet, as the devotional insightfully reminds us, God doesn’t leave us in the desert without provision. He replaces the flesh-pots of Egypt with bread from heaven and water from the Rock.

Losing to Gain

The desert is not a place of punishment but preparation. It is here that we lose our self-assurance, our illusions of control, and our dependence on worldly things. As the devotional notes, the Father beckons us to trust Him in the desert, even through days of darkness and difficulty.

For me, the desert stripped away my reliance on sterile teachings and church structures that did little to address the real needs of my soul. I had to come to terms with the inadequacy of a faith built on effort and compliance. God used that season to lead me into the fullness of His grace, where I found rest and sufficiency in Christ alone.

Desert Riches in My Journey

For years, my desert was marked by striving, self-reliance, and the oppressive weight of anxiety. I longed for the fellowship and rich teachings I had known in Minnesota, and I grieved the stark contrast in Rhode Island. But God met me in that barren place, not through external changes, but by revealing the exchanged life.

As the Holy Spirit gently led me, I learned to lay down my self-driven existence for the life of Christ. The desert that had once felt desolate became a place of abundance, where God provided exactly what I needed. The bread of heaven and water from the Rock—Christ Himself—became my sustenance. I now see the desert as a sacred space where God transforms and refines us.

Living Out Desert Riches

If you find yourself in a desert season, longing for something more, take heart. The desert is not the end of your journey, but a critical part of it. Like me, you may feel the ache of what you’ve lost or the barrenness of what surrounds you. Trust that God is using this season to draw you into the richness of His life in Christ.

The waters will flow from the Rock, and that Rock is Christ. He is your provision, your strength, and your joy, even in the desert. Lean into Him. Allow the desert to become a place of transformation and abundance as you learn to rest in His sufficiency.

Closing Prayer
Father, we thank You for the desert seasons, where You lovingly strip away our self-reliance and reveal Your sufficiency. Thank You for Your provision of Christ, our bread of heaven and water from the Rock. May we trust You deeply, even in the barren places, and experience the abundance of life You have for us in Him. Amen.