It’s important to never compare your desert expereince with someone else’s because no two are alike. Each desert is specifically prepared for the journeyer and as much as you may attempt to provide comfort, the only comfort in this season is faith and trust in God. Although similarities will appear in conversation about the desert, the expereince, the trial and difficulty cannot be compared. When you’re invited into the wilderness, no one goes with you. It’s just you, the sand, heat and endless horizons.

No matter how much to fight against the season, if you’re submitted to God’s gracious forming of your life, you will enter. You will find humility will become your guide and the bending of your will is key to making the journey last not so long. The will of man is a strong force. If you refuse to submit your will, you may find that you walk many nights and days in the arid land only to find yourself back to the place you started. Every part of the wilderness is intended to peel back a different layer of your heart, soul and will. A few times around the same path helps you to realize that you need to stop resisting and start submitting quickly.

The desert is place of contending with your will, your pride and providing refinement to places of dependency. Think about if you were dropped on an empty island, not having any knowledge of where you are or how long you’ll be there. The first thing you would naturally do is shed anything you have with you that’s not essential for survival.

Although your mp3 player and latte may have had great value in normal life, in this situation, they may be the first things to go. Suddenly, you realize what actually matters and what is not as important. Another revelation you may have is that things you once discarded become treasured. For example, no one really keeps the core of an apple. Most people throw it away. But, if you’re stranded on an island, you realize that the core contains seeds that in time can be used to reproduce more apples.

This is what happens in the dessert. Identifies, false associations and your will discovers priority and is refined. Each desert season is different for everyone. Some people have various spouts of desert times, while others may experience a single desert of the soul for months or a few years.

Being abundant in love can be even harder.  Because love isn’t something that can be faked.  G-d is full of love. The psalmist called it “unfailing love,” and rejoiced in it.  To have love for G-d and for people that is steady and abounding takes more than human strength.  It is something we must ask G-d for, believing that He made us in His likeness, and He wants us to show forth a glimpse of His character.  The more a person knows the love of G-d in their life, the easier it will be for them to love.

When talking to people about your faith, people take you more seriously if you have genuine faith, that affects every area of life.  When people see a faith that changes hearts and lives, they often lose the sarcasm, and become interested in what you believe.

Religion has a bad name in the Western world.  How does a person live out what they believe in a skeptical world? Live a life that is above reproach, a life that shows faith in G-d to be real. The L-rd revealed himself to the people of Israel years ago as one “Who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness…”  (This is found in Exodus 34:6.) God made man in His image, and the children of Israel will shine the brightest when they reflect His likeness.

This world is often much less than compassionate.  Compassion runs high when briefly mentioning some disaster halfway around the world, but people are hard pressed to have compassion for those around them.  A quick look around will show that there is plenty of compassion needed close to home, too. Whether it be a broken hearted co-worker, or an unemployed neighbor, people need to see a compassion inspired by deep love for G-d and respect for the people who He created.

Maybe there was a bit of both mixed into her decision, but to stand up and help Jacob receive the blessing over his older brother, Esau; to allow the blame to fall upon only her; this was definitely quite an act of selflessness.

How would someone in today’s society conduct his or her business, knowing that what he or she was about to do could land them in poverty or joblessness, etc.? Would he stand up for what he knows to be right? Or would he stand by and watch an injustice take place?

Even in today’s tough economic times, when people are frantic over losing jobs or clients, etc., it is still prudent to do the right thing. Standing idly by while someone else takes the fall for something they did not do is wrong.

So maybe the method Rebekah chose was not the best. At least she stood for something. She understood the ramifications and acted anyway. Because of this one decision, history was made, and the course of an entire nation was changed.

One such case comes vividly to mind when thinking of doing the right thing in the face of scorn. The book of Genesis is filled with stories of faithful people. But there is one story that could be received with much scorn and scrutiny, over a decision one mother made that changed the course of a nation.

Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. They were brothers that were always at odds with each other, bringing their parents into the battle as well. Isaac held Esau, the older twin, with more affection; Rebekah preferred Jacob, the younger.

Earlier in their lives, Jacob swindled Esau out of his birthright for a bowl of stew. This of course entitled Jacob to all of the rights and privileges of the first-born–a larger inheritance and especially the father’s blessing.

Rebekah surely knew of this as she and Jacob were very close. They certainly could have spoken with each other about such important things. So when the time drew near for her husband to die, Rebekah acted on behalf of her favorite son, Jacob. She made the decision to trick her own husband into giving Jacob the family blessing, leaving Esau with very little.

What does it mean to “love the LORD”  with all of your heart?  Perhaps it means that when your heart is alive with faith, nothing in the world will be sweeter to you than knowing your Creator.  There is so much to meditate on about Him!  So many amazing attributes.  No wonder Psalms talks so much about thinking on the goodness and greatness of God!  As one ponders on the greatness of God, and on the things He has done for his people, faith cannot help but to rise from deep within.  As faith rises, it will be like the sunrise, because faith sheds new light on the wonder of the Creator.  As Love grows in the heart, it will naturally overflow into the soul.  True love always requires strength to be used.

Start by listening to the commands with heart of faith.  Believe that the One who wanted Israel to remember every day, every minute to fully love Him is still the same.  He gave commands to bring Israel life.  So choose life.

These things were core to what the fathers of the Jewish faith believed.  As with anything, it could be something that brought life, or something that became nothing more than tradition.  These commands were written, as is commanded, on or at the door-posts of their houses.  This was not given as a rule for interior decorating though.  Nor was it meant as an exhibit of righteousness for those around to see.  It was for their own good, to help them always have one thing at the forefront of their minds:  “the LORD is one.” Love Him with every single ounce of your being.

In life today, a person can face many obstacles. They may feel so far from the Promise Land as they go about day to day life. But faith can bring hope to a weary heart. Just as Abraham choose to trust, there is a choice being held out today: walk in the faith that has been received, or let it be faith that is collecting dust somewhere in the depths of the soul. The lowest moments of life are the times to remember by faith that the same One who brought Abraham through his trials can also bring His children through their hardships today.

Judaism is not meant to be religion for the sake of good discussions.  Even embracing the precepts that Jewish Spiritually brings to everyday living is not enough.  It is meant to be a journey.  It is meant to be a place where faith means walking, step by step, into the Promise Land. Sometimes it means that each step is leading closer to Mount Moriah, not toward loss, but toward a faith and a trust that is strong. It is the hardest journey, but it is worth every step.

Abraham was just an ordinary man, who was called on a journey of faith. He didn’t just have faith. Faith was how he lived out his life.  He literally walked in faith, step by step, until his feet led him straight into the Promise Land.  Even though he faced many obstacles, he came through them. He may not have always had faith, and looking at his life it is evident that there were low times. But the low times were not the thing that defined him. He was made righteous by faith, because his life was a constant choice of returning. Again and again, he looked past the impossible, to the One who is able to do all things, and he chose to return to a life shaped by faith.

Abraham learned that sometimes, the fulfillment of a promise takes a long time. Sometimes the things seeming like they should be amazing, and announced with trumpets come as small and as soft as a baby. And a baby, soft and innocent, was the fulfillment of a promise for Abraham.  But even in the fulfillment of the promise, there were still tests of Abraham’s faith.  Because even the best promise cannot compare to truly knowing and trusting the One who makes perfect promises.