"Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19

I must tell you a story that I myself would tend to keep a secret if this miracle could not be confirmed by my wife, Norma. Fact is, it was her unspoken desire that I believe initiated what to us was one of those mountaintop moments where one stands in awe of not only the God of great wonders but also the Lord of gentle reminders of His nearness.

We were on a hike in the desert along the Colorado River. Most of the days, there was not a soul in sight. Now desert sun and hefty back­packs can combine to create lots of sweat and a longing for something cool to the taste.

That's when Norma had this mouth-watering desire for a cool apple. Not long after, she stared in stunned silence - as did I - at what stared back at us from the hot desert ground. Two perfect, cool, sumptuous apples lay there waiting for us - with no human in sight. After shouting praises to God, I wanted to wash my apple. Norma said, "Would God give us dirty apples?!", and proceeded to bite into what we perceive as God's miracle in the desert.

Look at our scripture again - with spiritual eyes. It is a promise to Israel and a promise to you. Do sins hold you as a prisoner? Confess them fully and believe the blood of Jesus cleanses you, like He promised. Has a spiritual staleness stagnated your growth and robbed you of a zest for the Lord? Make a fresh dedication of body, soul and spirit to Jesus. Then believe Him for a "new thing" in your life and He will open a way in your wilderness and bring rivers of His living water to your spiritual desert - just like He dropped two cool apples into our physical desert.

My prayer: "I long for a new thing in my life, Lord—something only You can do so that I will praise only You."

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1)
The ST. PAUL SCHOOL, with Frank Eiklor, Eileen Young and Cecilia Contreras