If you are searching for just the right name for a baby-to-be, something unusual, out of the ordinary, check out the family tree that extends from Esau. This twin brother of Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebecca, had married Canaanite women back before Jacob ever left home. It brought much grief to his parents, and evidently Esau himself was not totally satisfied, for he took yet another woman to be his wife, a daughter of Ishmael.
Remember Ishmael? He was Abraham’s first born son by Sarah’s maid, Hagar. Tough to keep it all straight? Maybe that is why God intended that there be one man and one woman, and the two would become one unit. Not only is life simpler that way, it is purer. It was never God’s idea to have mixed or multiple marriages.
Anyway, Esau became the head of the clan known as Edom, or the Edomites. He took all of his family and his possessions and moved away from Jacob to the hill country of Seir. He did this because both he and Jacob were so wealthy, there was not enough land for all of their cattle to graze on in Hebron, where they were both raised. The land he chose to move to was located southeast of the Dead Sea, and the terrain was marked by rugged mountains and desolate deserts. 
Mountain tops and barren deserts. Have you ever been to either? As we walk with God, it seems that He takes us through both of those territories. We are blessed by wonderful mountain top experiences where we are saturated with God’s goodness and blessings. We bask in His sunlight and we feel like life could never get better this side of heaven. Enjoy those retreats when they occur. Soak up all the blessings and sunshine and happiness you can. For no doubt about it, your path will at some time lead you into the dry barren desert where you will need to have some of those resources in reserve. If all you have is an empty flask, you won’t make it very far on the dry stretch. 
Deserts can produce their own kind of fruit. It is when you are totally alone with no one to lean on and nothing to grab onto that you find God is still there for you. And the lessons He will teach you in the desert will be life-changing. You will not come out of the desert the same person you walked in as. You will realize that if you depend on your own strength or wisdom, you are doomed. It is not enough. It takes a Supernatural Force to bring you to an oasis where you can absorb God’s love and His strength to see you through to the other side of this unbearable time in your life.
As He begins to fill you with who He is and what He wants in your life, you start gaining momentum. You can feel your body repositioning itself from crawling, to walking, to running. And you move on out of the desert to a victorious future, one where God is now in charge and you are free to be all that He intended you to be.It has been said that no man or woman ever became great in God’s kingdom without first going through the desert. So do not be afraid of the desert, just don’t go there alone. Reach out and grasp the hand of God, and you will have all that you ever need to make it through this journey. He’s not only our Creator, He is also our Provider. Praise His name!!
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