Our ladies group at church is going through a study that starts off in the wilderness. When I got to Ezekiel 36:34 I felt compelled to verse map, or dig deep, into that particular scripture.

And man I’m glad that I did.

“And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by.” Ezekiel 36:34

I’m from Texas. I know what the word till means, right? But until I dug – no pun intended – into exactly what it meant for this scripture I didn’t fully comprehend what God was communicating through His word to me. That’s the power of verse mapping.

To till means to aggravate or agitate the land. And while that desolate land is being disrupted, roots – things unseen – are being lifted up and taken out. What’s taking up that space now? Organic matter. Aka living matter.

Let that soak in.

Living matter. Living water. A living God.

So when you’re walking through what seems like a desolate time in your life, and you feel like everything is in disarray – just remember that God is at work. He is disrupting everything for a purpose. He is going to take out all of the bad roots and fill that empty, desolate space with himself. The living God. Living matter.

Praise God in the wilderness, sister. He’s doing a work He is preparing you for something better.