It takes Dave and I about 15 to 20 minutes to drive to town. Most of the way we travel through sparsely populated desert, which we enjoy, and especially when the Spring flowers and love grass blanket the ground.
All it takes is a few warm days and some moisture and the desert floor comes to life.
Isn’t that how it is with us? A little light, warmth, and watering with kindness and love and our souls respond with beauty.
“The waste-land and the dry land will be glad. The desert will be full of joy and become like a rose. 2 Many flowers will grow in it, and it will be filled with joy and singing…They will see the shining-greatness of the Lord, the wonderful power of our God. 3 Give strength to weak hands and to weak knees. 4 Say to those whose heart is afraid, ‘Have strength of heart, and do not be afraid. See, your God will come ready to punish. He will come to make sinners pay for their sins, but He will save you…Those whom the Lord has paid for and set free will return. They will come to Zion with singing. Joy that lasts forever will crown their heads. They will be glad and full of joy. Sorrow and sad voices will be gone.’” Isaiah 35:1-4, 10 NLV
I really encourage you to read the full chapter of Isaiah 35. It is an amazing description of what the Lord does in the lives of those who love Him.
I can almost hear someone saying, “but Kristi, it also says that He will make sinners pay for their sins. Where’s the good news in that?”
I’m so glad you asked!
Read the next five words – “but He will save you”. There’s the good news. Salvation!
“‘It will be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved from the punishment of sin.’” Acts 2:21 NLV
“The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” II Peter 3:9 CEV
The choice is ours.
Our lives can be dry and brown, filled with thorns and stickers or we can bloom with beauty. The difference between the two is the water.
“On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, ‘If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! 38 Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.’ 39 Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory.” John 7:37-39 CEV
When we come to faith in Christ, He fills us with the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit. He causes our lives to blossom with the fruit of love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, patience and meekness.
We bloom with joy and strength!