Okay, so here’s the deal; I thought it would be fun to get insight from outside of Run Like A Vagabond (aka, me). In the next week, as we move on to the last two thirds of the United Album Review, there will be tons of different people, besides myself, pouring their heart in the reviews that you will read.

Now Desert Song will be a little different. Because of the popularity of the song, and the desire people showed when asking for guests to share, I have decided to have two separate reviews. Today’s guest blogger for Desert Song will be Dialogue Church‘s own Ryan Schaefer. Ryan is the visionary of Dialogue Church. His obedient heart and passion for not only the people in his direct life, but for the people of our nations, has created this incredible authentic environment, movement, and family called Dialogue Church. Before you read take a moment to listen to the song and read the lyrics below.

Listen to: Desert Song

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow

Now that you have read and prayed over the lyrics, enjoy and open your heart as you read what Ryan’s heart has showed him while listening to and reading the lyrics of Desert Song.

“This is my prayer in the desert…”

That alone is a miracle. I’ve been in the desert, and I didn’t want to pray. I didn’t want to sing.

I just wanted out. NOW.

Where was this God of blessing and bounty? Where was the deliverer when I needed Him? What about the promises? What happened to the land of “milk and honey”?

If god can’t get me out of here then he sucks at being god. If god won’t get me out then he’s no god I want to follow.

Have you been there?
Where pain overwhelms and loss cuts deep?
Where loneliness seems more real than the love you once knew?
Where darkness looms and depression grips your soul like thief clutching a stolen purse?

Who prays in the desert, anyway? Lifting sun scorched hands and a heat parched voice when surrounded by sand and lost in emptiness is about as appealing as quenching your thirst with a carton of warm milk. Of course, I didn’t start off with a bad attitude. I gave God a chance to get me out. I had faith. I trusted “His will and His way”. I stood firm…for a bit.

But then faith gave way to the pain. Or, maybe it was the other way around? Maybe, pain revealed the nature of my faith—weak, egocentric, and flimsy. I was a Christian, but it seemed I had no interest in being a Christ Follower. I wanted no part of this desert experience. I saw no value in “cross carrying”. Questions flooded my soul.

Why am I here?
What did I do wrong?
Is God mad at me?
Does God hate me?
Does God hear my prayer?
Does God even care?
(They came like vultures to decay.)
Where is God?
Is God even real?

If you are a foreigner to this land, either you’ve never lost anything that you’ve loved or you’ve never loved anything you’ve lost.

“I will rejoice. I will declare. God is my victory and he is here.”

A desert dweller needs more than water to stay alive; they need hope. Hope that tomorrow will come. Hope that the darkness will relent. Hope that even the moments of pain and doubt have meaning. Hope that the questions have answers even when we don’t. Hope that God is not standing on the sidelines cheering us on, but that He is with us. Hope that he’s in the desert and as thirsty as we are. Hope that He is suffering as we suffer. Hope that He isn’t waiting for us to make it. Hope that He is here.

Maybe we miss Him because we are looking for the God who brings us out of the desert? The God who pulls us through the pain, that’s the God we want to worship! The God who gets us out of the mess, that’s the God we like to preach about! We write songs about the God of strength and power, and those songs just don’t resonate well in a desert. Maybe the questions aren’t meant to be answered? Maybe they’re made to be embraced! Maybe we are searching in the wrong place?

I pray that you find Him. There. In the desert of loneliness. In the desert of brokenness. In the desert of divorce. In the desert of confusion. In the desert of questions. I pray that your eyes open to a beauty that is more real then the sand and the sunburn. I pray that the desert becomes and oasis of His presence.

Thank you United, for reminding me of that oasis.

If you enjoyed Desert Song, be sure to go HERE, and purchase the song or entire album. Also, take a moment and check out Ryan’s blog: http://andprotest.wordpress.com

At any time you can go to the “Featured” section on the right and click on the Hillsong United a_CROSS//the_EARTH post to find the link to a review on each song that has been reviewed so far.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 at 9:39 pm and is filed under Faith, Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.