The Life of an Oasis

Have you ever seen an oasis before?

Not some little puddle of gritty water in the middle of a construction site, not some neatly designed pool in some tycoon’s backyard in the middle of the city….

If we think about it, few of us have been privileged to see a real oasis because few of us have ever been in a true desert. You know the kind that stretches on and on for hundreds of miles without relief from the scorching heat and biting sand storms. The kind that will kill you with thirst and exposure if you don’t cover yourself well and keep hydrated. The kind that lead to the loss of many early—and even some recent—caravans because the wind shifts the dunes to confuse one’s sense of direction!

Two of the most famous deserts in the world are the Kalahari and the Sahara.

Oft times, even today, sojourners in those places are taking a gamble for obvious reasons.

An oasis is a small spring of water in a desert land. The problem is that oases are few and far between, making them not only rare but precious! Furthermore, you might think you know the trail well or have a map of where the oases are; however, one good sandstorm can completely fill in an oasis that was once reliable. Only the oasis with a deep and powerful underground spring will be able to revive itself and overcome the sand to serve further travelers.

The problem? Human beings can only survive three days without water; if they run out in their canteens and can’t find an oasis, they die!

How many of you sometimes feel like you’re seeking an oasis to revive you? Yes, sometimes we need those times of refreshing but we are provided tools for digging down to the deep reservoir of God’s goodness. Those tools include prayer, Bible study, godly pastors, conferences even sometimes entitle ‘Times of Refreshing!’

That’s why David in 1 Samuel 30 is said to have “encouraged himself in the Lord.” He learned how to dig back to the source of his strength!

But today’s message is about our calling to be an oasis to others.

Loneliness and solitude can sometimes work well for you if you put it to good use. It is the oasis’s solidarity that makes it so valuable.

As a single person, I used to feel incomplete but the fact is, sometimes youths have more freedom to work in ministry than those with more responsibilities.

Take a look at the Roman military:

• At the peak of its influence, it boasted massive massive armies of hardened fighters.
• One thing that made these armies so fierce was their lack of normal human attachment.
• The army was a good living but soldiers were not allowed to marry, own homes, or settle in any place too long.
• Why? Because when the emperor said ‘Move,’ he didn’t want any squabbles and no tag-alongs!

As 2 Timothy 2:4 says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the cares of this life.”

This clearly reflects the time period in which it was written. During Jesus’ time, the Roman Empire was hearing its peak. During Timothy’s time, it was probably beginning its structural decline in which its armies were less disciplined, leading to heavier casualties.

Paul, in his letter to Timothy, was applying knowledge from his observations to spiritual warfare!

Now, although we know we can’t stop working, stop grocery shopping, or stop other activities associated with this life, it is true that our focus must remain uncompromised.

This is simpler as a single person because you don’t have the demands of a spouse and children interrupting your focus. Of course, being a wife myself, I have found that my husband is a constant source of encouragement for me in my ministry. For my mother, she actually returned to the Lord because I was born and I was her inspiration; she didn’t care much for herself but decided she didn’t want her child to be lost.

As a married woman, I now understand that I have to balance my ministry with the added responsibility of a household and a husband. Someday, even kiddos will be in that mix!

Even as a married woman, however, I still experience times of solitude and loneliness. While God understands the pain of being lonely, He also advocates having a one-on-one relationship with Him! Some of the most greatly used men and women of God have been widows, single, or simply estranged at times from their loved ones.

And loneliness can occur from being the only person in truth on the job, in your extended family, or in the neighborhood as well. Feeling alone does not mean you are out of the will of God though.

You see, an oasis is not fed by tributaries or other lakes. It must draw its strength, its sustenance from a deeper spring.

Often, in ministry, you will find yourself without encouragement or supporters. However, often we’re needed most where we seem to be wanted least!

This is where it’s important to encourage yourself in the Lord as David did, for God is that deeper spring that will not only sustain you but will define you as an oasis. He fills you…and keeps you full. He not only infills but the constant stirring of an underground spring is what keeps the water fresh!

Often, an oasis may not look like much:
• You may not choose an oasis for a vacation.
• It’s often located in a gritty, secluded spot that doesn’t have enough water to skin in and no fish to go fishing for. And most are surrounded by a few palm trees whose leaves are so high up that you can’t get much shade next to the water itself; you have to go out fifteen feet to get a mere spattering of shade. And…it’s hot, hot, hot!

We may not always be the most appealing people either:
• The world, in fact, often views real Christians—yes, there is a counterfeit out there—as overzealous, legalistic, a little rough around the edges, sometimes unstylish, and less pleasurable to be around since we do not indulge in worldly pleasures.

But there is a beauty to the oasis.

1st: Consider the Strength of the Oasis
• Despite being filled in by sand every time a wind blows, it keeps pushing water upward. It is determined!
• We, likewise, are considered beautiful due to our persistence to be holy. What makes us seem odd to the world is our perseverance to be made unto his glorious image (Philippians 3:21). Indeed, holiness separates because, as scripture tells us, the world loves its own (John 15:19). But the strength to look, smell, act, and be different as an act of love to our Lord makes us beautiful!
• 2 Chronicles 20:21 and Psalms 96:9 admonish us to “worship” or “praise” in the “beauty of holiness.” In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul admonishes the saints to “cleanse” themselves and “perfect holiness in the fear of God.”

Holiness matters! It allows you to stand out as an oasis in the desert of carnality! Otherwise, if you just allow every grain of opinion in and if you blur the line between right and wrong (desert and pure water), you will no longer be a well of living water!

If an oasis allows its shoreline to be blurred and sand to cross its borders, it can no longer supply life-giving water; instead, it becomes a quicksand trap for others!

Are you an Oasis or Quicksand Pit?

You see, quicksand and the oasis have one common denominator. Both begin by being supplied by an underground water source.

The difference comes in how they protect their borders, which is the very definition of themselves!

An oasis stands out as different from the sand around it, maintaining its purity. We are to be different. The oasis keeps the sand out of the water, keeping itself pure and clean as well as well-defined. How? Because an oasis allows a stronger thrust from the fountain below to stir it than the quicksand pit does!

Quicksand develops from an oasis that (1) allowed sand to filter in slowly and (2) somehow restricts the underground stream of water to a small trickle so it cannot be stirred!

You see, if you pour a truck of sand on an oasis—just as life sometimes dumps trials onto us—the sand will either end the existence of the oasis or it will be gradually pushed out again by the persistence of the spring underneath.

However, if an oasis permits sand in small quantities (a sin here, a sin there, a compromise now and then), a particular mixture develops below the surface which becomes so thick that the spring is restricted from purifying the waters.

The pit will look fine on the surface, but those who enter its waters will quickly die because of the downward force.

It is the same in the kingdom of God:

When a child of God begins to allow little sins one at a time, he eventually blinds himself to the importance of holiness and keeping his boundaries. He becomes quicksand to the weary traveler, dragging all who associate with him farther into darkness and away from the light. His little bit of truth (water on the surface) hides the murky and dangerous depths within!

How can we keep from falling prey to quicksand?
1. Stir it up! 2 Timothy 1:6 instructs us to “stir up the gift of God” that is within us. Pray, seek God’s face, read His Word, seek Godly counsel, surround yourself with the people of God.
2. Define yourself! Check yourself with the word of God. While we sometimes need to be flexible with our own rules and expectations, don’t compromise the principles of God. If it’s in His Word, it is a heaven or hell issue!
3. Keep pushing upward! The storms of life will try to bury you from time to time but if you’ll just keep drawing from the deep reservoir of God, remembering your spiritual landmarks and consulting your elders for encouragement, you can push through the surface again!

Let us “stir up the gift” within ourselves today and double-check our boundaries to ensure that the spring of living water can freely surge through us, cleansing us and providing sustenance for those we meet!

We may be their only hope as they near their third day without water….