I became a Christian at the age of 12, and I grew up to become an evangelist, spreading the good news of Jesus to people all over the world. However, this doesn’t mean that every step of my 70 year journey with God has been easy. I have not always listened to Christ’s voice and been filled with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I found myself wandering through deserts, wondering if I was even on the right path anymore. As Jesus said, “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.” Sometimes I wandered the wrong way when I was young.

Wandering often happens in the desert, when we feel far from God and the joy of our salvation. Many Christians feel this way. They’ve given their hearts to Jesus. They love Him. They show up at church. They serve and do all the right things, but they have little joy, little freedom, little fruitfulness. In a moment of honesty, they’ll admit they’re not really happy.

Desert times do come, but what matters is how we act in them. We must remember who we are: children of God, fueled by his power and confidence. In the desert, God is our water source, our sustenance. He is the source of our joy, and we can be content and fulfilled no matter what life throws at us. The path we walk is narrow, but others will see us walking well and want to join us, and we will reach our world for Christ.

This is Luis Palau.