Afikim baNegev: Streams in the Desert
“Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold your God will come with vengeance; he will come and save you.’” (Is. 35:3-4) Our ministry on behalf of the widows and orphans in the Negev of Israel is called Afikim baNegev, Streams in the Desert. God has given us a heart to serve
those often seen as the poorest and neediest in our midst, the single mothers and their children. The Father’s desire is to cover them with his love, protection, provision, and care. Try to visualize what the prophet Isaiah saw when he spoke of streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:6):
Suddenly, winds pick up as clouds race across the sky. The heavens burst open and rain pours down in furious gusts. Within moments the dusty ground of the sun-scorched desert fills with small streams, rivulets, puddles and pools. The rushing waters course down from the higher ground to the low places. Wadis (dry river beds) fill and flood once again, breaking through their banks to cut new pathways in the earth. The landscape is forever changed. Spring comes and the desert is filled with a myriad of shades of green and teal and gold, and with carpets of wild flowers in dazzling colors. Lush vegetation, harboring habitats for birds and other animals, surround the once barren streambeds. In Streams in the Desert, as we minister out of the Lord’s overflow of love, we see the cleansing and healing power of God flooding into the dry and barren places of people’s lives, filling them with hope and a vision for the future. Lives are changed, and new possibilities blossom. As James wrote in his epistle, 'Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble...' (James 1:27) In our work with widows and orphans and divorced women and their fatherless children in the Negev of Israel, we provide both practical help and spiritual assistance partnering with God to fill the dry places of women’s and children’s lives with provision and with the love and power of the Holy Spirit. He is faithful to pour out the waters of life, sow seeds, forge new ways for them to walk, and prepare them for seasons of great fruitfulness.
