City of Sin

As I was driving out of Las Vegas, I had a thought... this is what happens when people out in the desert lose hope.  The desert is a harsh environment... with severe extremes in weather and conditions.  Out in the desert people become hot and thirtsy and become discouraged... and so they try to distract themselves from their discomfort.  As I looked at the contrast between the big hotels and casinos and then the beautiful red rock of the desert backdrop, I began to think of the Israelites.  Out in the desert all those years, it was hard for them to remember that it was a good thing they were there.... that they had been freed from slavery and were venturing out to receive all that God had promised them.  But, they had to walk through the desert first.... and that's where things got hard.  They got tired, and hot, and thirsty.... and instead of looking around and appreciating the poetic beauty of the desert and its significance in their journey, they could only think about their discomfort and uncertainty.  They took their eyes off of God and of the purpose He had for their lives.... and they built idols. 

As I looked at the casinos and strip clubs in Vegas... the "glitz and glamour" of The Strip.... I started to see all of it as the golden calf.  I'm sure for a lot of people, and even for me at some point in my life, it seems to sparkle.  It bekons seductively, offering relief from the heat of the desert with the air-conditioned casinos and illusion of permission to do whatever makes you feel good in the moment.  After all, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas".  But, it all looks a little sad and dingy to me now.  I look out at the desert in the background and it seems almost vibrant even in its desolation.  The red rocks tower over a landscape where life has adapted to survive in the harsh conditions - a demonstration of the persistance and foritude inherent with LIFE - and the blue sky hovers over all of it, stretching out to inifinity.

For me, I'd rather be in the desert.  It may be a little uncomfortable... and downright scary not to know where the promised land is or when you'll get there.  But I know that there is a reason that God called me out here.... I know that He does not forsake me or leave my side, even when I struggle to hear HIs voice.  And, so I don't need to create any distractions from that... I don't want any distractions from that.  My prayer is that I will not waver and I will not get pulled off course as I go through the "desert" times in my life.

And for any of my borthers and sisters who also feel like they are walking throug hthe wildnerness, I pray that you will not be distracted by the idols that people have built, and that you will not be tempted to build your own.  All those casinos and brothels and strip clubs that I've passed on my drive.... they just keep people trapped out here.  And why would you want to stay in the desert forever, when God has better plans for you???