Every muscle in my body tensed. I dared not move. If only I had my trusted walking stick, but I foolishly left at just out of reach. I was at the mercy of the deadly creature. If it decided to attack, I was as good as dead. Was there any way I could get out of this situation? I desperately wanted to jump up and run.
I sat as still as possible trying to figure out my next move. Thinking my leg was some kind tree trunk, the biggest scorpion I had even seen scurried back and forth looking for its next meal. While I wasn’t on the menu, its deadly, curled tail was alway prepared for an attack. In a fraction of a second the venomous stinger could plunge into my skin and deposit a lethal dose of poison in my leg.
After what seemed like an hour, the eight-legged creature decided to take a few tiny steps away from my exposed skin. With the smallest gap between me and the spider-like creature, I swung my leg in the other direction, and scrambled to my feet. The scorpion realized that it was no longer the hunter, but the prey. With its little legs, it raced for safety, and was gone a second later. I wiped away a drop of sweat that had formed on my forehead, and trickled down to my brow. “That was close,” I said to myself.
With my staff in hand, it was time to move on. My eyes scanned the desert scrubland ahead. It was only mid-morning, but the sun was already scorching the forsaken land. Far in the distance the heat pouring off the baking desert formed a shimmering mirage.
I continued on in the direction I had been going, not knowing if it was the right way. The hot desert air swirled around me, causing my cloak to flutter. I sheltered my skin from the searing sun as best as I could.
The intense heat was taking its toll as I wandered along. Each footstep felt heavier than the last one.
“Was my life going to end in this hostile land?” I asked myself.
I leaned on my staff for support. My parched tongue longed for a cool drink, but there was no water in sight. I pressed on, with great effort. Shuffling one foot forward, and then the other, minutes turned to hours as the day wore on.
Eventually, I stumbled upon a set of chariot tracks, nearly covered over by the shifting sands. However, it was a sign that someone had been this way not long ago. I studied the tracks and found the imprint of the horse’s hooves. They told me the direction the chariot had been traveling.
A glimmer of hope sprang up within me. Perhaps I would find may way out of this desolate land. I turned to my left and scanned the horizon for any sign of civilization, but found only the empty wilderness. However, my best option was to follow the chariot.
At times the trail completely disappeared under the drifting sand, but I managed to pick it up again. Mile after mile, I trudged along. At one point I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. A form rose up on the horizon. It seemed like an average hill, one of a hundred that dotted the landscape. I continued on.
Vague features began to appear on the hill, and then lush palm trees came into view. Finally, walls and structures build by human hands, a city! My legs found renewed strength. I doubled my pace toward the city. There, I knew that I would find shelter from the heat, food, and water to quench my burning thirst. I was saved!
Other Stories You Might Enjoy
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Read Matt 5:14 – 16
I came to faith in Jesus because a friend let his light shine.
Think of a person you know who let’s their light shine?
How is their life different?
There are people all around us who are wandering in the desert. What is one thing you can do today to be like a city on a hill?