Dear Church Family,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to minister in North Africa with our sent ones. It’s been a joy to see what the LORD is doing in and through them. I appreciate Dr Street sharing last Sunday and look forward to being with you all this coming Sunday as I begin a new series on the fruit of the Spirit. I read the following this morning and thought it would bless you:

We call the Bible’s fourth book “Numbers,” but the Hebrew name is better: בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר (Bemidbar), which means “in the wilderness.”

‎Not only does it tell us where the story unfolds, but it also reflects our own lives. The Midbar, the wilderness, isn’t just geography; it’s a spiritual, theological description of where we often find ourselves.

‎The Bible begins in a garden and ends in a garden-like city, but in between, there’s a whole lot of wilderness. Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years. David fled there from Saul. And Jesus was tempted there for forty days.

‎In the wilderness, everything feels stripped away. The Israelites were hungry, thirsty, and tested. And in that space of deep need, God fed them manna from heaven and reminded them, “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3). Jesus himself quoted this verse when he was hungry and tempted in the wilderness.

‎He entered that space not only as our Savior, but as one who fully entered our human struggles.

‎The wilderness is where we often find ourselves—pressed by trials, weighed down by grief, parched by anxiety or fear. Sometimes we even walk into it on purpose, trying to build our own utopias out of lust, greed, or pride—only to discover our souls are full of sand.

‎But here’s the good news: Jesus is not just the God of the garden or the city. He’s the God of the wilderness too. He’s been there. He knows what it’s like. And he’s with us in our wilderness seasons—offering the sweet water of hope, the cool shade of peace, and the steady hand of grace.

‎So wherever you are—thriving or barely surviving—remember this: In the wilderness, the Lord is with you. He will sustain you, speak to you, and lead you through to the other side.

Press On!

Mark