Jeannine Vanvoorst

Sanctuary in the Desert Jeannine Vanvoorst

Sanctuary in the Desert is a thirty-day devotional documenting a Christian's wilderness journey and discovery of God's presence. As the traveler's connection to God unfolds, his all-encompassing love is often reminiscent of the beautiful relationship between the bridegroom and the bride in the Song of Solomon in the Bible. No believer who chooses to follow Christ is exempt from the desert experience, though circumstances differ in each traveler's passage. The trial by fire may be personal, financial, or economic distress from the loss of a job, home, or health. However, the purpose of the wilderness and the knowledge imparted to the sojourner remain the same. Originally titled Forty Days in the Desert . . . and Counting, the theme of this devotional is ongoing. The traveler oftentimes is bound by his perception of past failure, present immobility, and future uncertainty. Yet he moves forward, mindful that failure is a necessary evil and a facet of success. The expectation is that with every tumble, the journeyman will "jump back onto his horse, re-enter the race, and ride hard until he crosses the finish line." Philippians 3:12-14 aptly urges the seeker to press on toward the high calling of Jesus Christ--"forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."