The Desolate Place

 By Jessica Edwards

The course of my life changed forever on December 7, 2002. At that time, I was a stay-at-home mom of two little boys with my days full of ministry in my home. Through an emotional breakdown, the Lord began to show me all of the pride, the worry, the fear, the lies I was believing, and He began to transform and renew my mind as I clung to Him for His grace and healing. He called me to come with Him to a desolate place. We spent many months together in that desolate place, and my life has not been the same.

There's an interesting account in Mark 6 where the disciples had been doing some amazing work for the Lord. They had been preaching, casting out devils, healing the sick (vs. 13), and Jesus told them to “ 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves” (vs. 31-32 ESV) .

Notice Jesus didn't say “Go away.” He said, “Come away.” The word come in Mark 6:31 is the same Greek word He uses in Matthew 11:28 (ESV) when He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He's giving an invitation to His disciples to come away with Him; to get away from people, from ministry, and spend time resting in His presence.

Doesn't that sound great? Come away with Jesus, get away from people, and spend time in His presence? But notice what else Jesus said, “to a desolate place.” Hmm, I wonder if sometimes Jesus calls us to come away to a desolate place, and it feels very much like that... desolate, empty, lonely, dry... I wonder if this desolate place could look like...

• Literally getting away and spending time alone with the Lord (this one would be my favorite!)

• A pandemic where ministry has to be evaluated as to what is really important

• Circumstances where life and ministry have slowed down almost to a screeching halt

• Sickness and spending many hours on your back in bed or quarantined at home

• Debilitating pain that limits what you can do

• A difficult marriage where you feel very much alone but in that aloneness you are crying out to Jesus even more

• An emotional breakdown where you find yourself crying out to Jesus day and night just to retain your sanity

• Decades of singleness and unfulfilled longing for a husband

• The season of littles at home and then the season of the nest becoming empty

In this desolate place, Jesus didn't abandon His disciples, and just a few verses later, Jesus demonstrates His power to His disciples by feeding the 5,000 in that desolate place. (Mark 6:35-44)

Could it be Jesus is wanting to demonstrate His power in our lives in the desolate place? He did not abandon His disciples, and He will not abandon us. (Heb. 13:5)

I do not want to resent those desolate places.

Teach us, Lord, to not resent the desolate places but to embrace them as part of Your perfect will for our lives. We know You are working in and through us for Your glory!

 Jessica Edwards is a wife and homeschool mom who loves Jesus and His Word. She lives in the beautiful north Georgia mountains where you can find her hiking or trying to grow veggies in her vegetable garden.