By Cynthia Gaw
“Desert” is one of the richest of literary symbols. It connotes spiritual dryness, loneliness, abandonment, isolation, hardship, and loss. But it also means a place where life survives despite harsh conditions. A biblical “desert” is a place of trials for those who wish to follow God. Philippians 4: 4-7 tells us not only how we survive in the desert, but also how we thrive there, precisely how we find joy and peace when we suffer in the desert places of our lives.
Not just in rose gardens, luxury resorts, and cake walks, but in deserts, we are to rejoice. We rejoice during our circumstances, but in the Lord. In a fallen world the only constant condition is change. Our only unchanging source of joy and peace is the three-person God, our rock and anchor amidst a sea of troubles. Rejoicing is a repeated command rightly translated with an exclamation point. It’s no mere suggestion for when times are pleasant, and it certainly is not based upon emotions.
The keyword in verse 5 will likely be translated in English “gentleness,” but that doesn’t really nail the Greek. The word denotes the generous spirit that rises above offenses. It is a character of forbearance for which Jesus provides the perfect example. It is a character trait that should be evident in our lives. Because “the Lord is at hand,” we can always access “gentleness.” Through the Lord we exhibit his character. Even in a Sahara of a desert, the Lord is within reach, handy, available, and near us.
Without the presence of God, we have every reason for anxiety, especially in deserts. When our son was doing special forces work in the Middle East, I never knew what he was doing, usually not even what country he was in. The only thing I knew for sure was that whatever it was, it was dangerous. Often peace seemed counterintuitive, joy dishonest. Anxiety was always only a prayer-breath away. But God was present with both of us. And here He is, in verse six, inviting me to present my requests with thanksgiving to Him. As I offload my concerns, I realize He has always been the one in beneficent control. If I have given him my worries, I am free from them. I am still concerned and very interested in, but not controlled by, this pejorative and poisonous emotional state- anxiety. God, of course, has always known the desires of my heart, but now I know He knows. In prayer there has been a clear transference of “results ownership.” When I humbly relinquish control of circumstances to Him, it is His will, not mine, that is to be done.
At other places in scripture, we are given greater insight into the exuberance or energy with which we are to give God our concerns. From both Hebrew and Greek, we translate, for example, the English word “cast.” It means to throw off with enthusiasm, to get rid of with relief, to discard eagerly. Think of a schoolboy charging into his room on a Friday afternoon, with no homework for the weekend, “casting” his backpack onto his bed. In Psalm 55:22 we read, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” In I Peter 5:7 we read, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We say to God, “Thanks for taking this heavy burden; it’s crushing me. I’m in a desert, and you are the water of life. I’m confused and impotent; and you are the way and the truth.”
The peace of God is the direct answer to the prayer that has identified a worry and given it decisively to God. Our desert probably will not be understood by us, but it can, nevertheless, be experienced peacefully. Our joy in the desert is joy in Christ. In Hebrews 11we are given a catalogue of the worst desert experiences; the Christians who endure those experiences are the most valuable to the Kingdom of God. The world is not worthy of those who “wander about in deserts” (Hebrews 11: 38), for God is at work in them. Please meditate also upon the words of Isaiah.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)
The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom
Like the crocus. (Isaiah 35:1)