There is a famous scene in the film Lawrence of Arabia where a sheik mounted on a camel emerges slowly out of a shimmering mirage. “Parched ground” in our verse means “mirage,” bringing to mind that scene from the movie.


In deserts in the blistering heat, one sees something that looks like a pool of water but, when approached, is nothing more than burning sand. This has deluded many a desert wanderer. You may get a similar idea driving on hot roads. With these images in mind, we see that “mirage” is a metaphor for the keenest of disappointments.


Our passage describes the New Earth. When in this life we catch a glimpse of some promised blessing and it doesn’t come to fruition, it is like a mirage, a dashed hope. But God promises that the mirage will be a real pool filled from gushing springs! The yearned-for blessing will be ours in unbelievable fullness. Every boon hoped for from the Lord will be a reality.


Never doubt the promised future we have in Jesus, for nothing disappoints in God’s future.