“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east, from the west, from the north and from the south.”
“Some wandered in the desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.” Psalm 107:1-5
Going on a mission trip in the desert is not an easy thing to do, especially in Tucson, Arizona- a beautiful but thirsty city. It is thirsty both physically and spiritually and the climate of Tucson is somewhat reflective of the spiritual condition of the people there: dry, lifeless, thirsty. They need Jesus. Being #12 on the top post-Christian cities in the United States and 5th poorest city, Tucson is starving for substance, thirsty for Truth.
While reading Psalm 107, I couldn’t help but think of the spiritual desert in Tucson, where “their soul(s) faint(s) within them” and they wander looking for hope. But there is hope. The verses before and directly after tell us so. The chapter begins with the reminder that the Lord is good and His love endures forever, then the Psalmist tells us that some wandered in the desert. “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” How beautiful is the redeeming power of the Lord? How good is He?!
Praying Pelican Missions is involved with a variety of ministries in Tucson, including a foster community, homeless ministries, Gospel Rescue Mission, Native American ministries and the list keeps growing. Partners like Pastor Diana at Church on the Street, or Rick at GAP ministries work hard to help the people in a spiritual desert by sharing the goodness of the Lord with them. Our partners pray hard that one day those in the desert will cry out to the Lord and that He will deliver them. That one day, those wandering in the desert will drink from the overflowing cup to never thirst again and see the goodness of our Lord.
Will you join them in praying for the people in the desert? Will you partner with us to help reach as many people as possible and share the love of Jesus with them? We need people like you to go to the desert to come alongside our partners, to minister and to pray for the Lord do mighty things. Come experience the desert like never before.
“He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.” -Psalm 107:35-38
