An Oasis In The Desert Series

An Oasis in the Desert

by Otis McMillan

The word “oasis” has a refreshing sound to it, does it? It means a retreat, a haven, or a sanctuary. Read and meditate on these verses from Isaiah 32.

"And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall listen." Isaiah 32:2- 3 NKJV

Isaiah describes the shadow of a great projecting rock as the most refreshing spot that is possible in a hot country, not only as most perfectly excluding the rays of the sun, but also as having in itself a natural coolness, which it reflects and communicates to everything about it. That’s the way our Christian should be in this dry and thirsty land called plant earth.

Have you ever walked in a dry, hot climate for an extended time? The sun beats down, sweat begins to pour off your brow, and your throat and mouth are parched with thirst. A little shade, a slight breeze, or a cool drink becomes the greatest thing one could value at the moment.

Being raised on a farm in eastern North Carolina, I remember vividly those blazing hot summer days in the sand hills when the sand would almost blister my bare feet. I would wander a good distance from our house playing with my neighborhood friends, most of who were also barefooted. When it was time for us to return home for lunch, running barefooted through the blistering sand was almost unbearable. We could only find temporary relief under a leafy brush or a patch of standing grass. How refreshing it was.

When you and I walk with Christ in the workplace, we become that kind of oasis for non-Christians. However, they may not recognize it at the time. Let’s face it, the workplace is pretty tough, especially when Christ is not in the center of it. Life is general can be tough.

When a person becomes aware of their need of Christ through you or me, we have become a shelter from the wind. We become their refuge from the storms of life. We become their place of relief under a leafy brush or a patch of standing grass. Isaiah describes the function of Christians in the world as “a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”

Someone once said that you and I might be the only Bible someone ever reads, so we need to be something worth reading. Are you available to be that shelter for a non-believing friend? If so, then you may open the eyes of someone who has been blind his whole life. What an incredible blessing to know you were the instrument God used to bring a person into the Kingdom of God.

"Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen" (Isaiah 32:3).