Angel and I lived in Mesa, Arizona for about five years. At first, we were concerned with living in the desert- the extreme weather and barrenness of winter weighed on us. But, there is a beauty inside of the desert you experience after spring rains. Some of the most beautiful flowers and greenery pop up in the desert when it rains, and we called these events the beauty in the desert.
2020 has felt like a year in the desert. The pandemic, the election, and lots of loss have created more anxiety and stress than we could have imagined. I’ve often asked myself, “Where can I find hope in this desert? Where can I see signs of life?”
Isaiah 58:11 reads:
“The Lord will guide you always. He will satisfy your needs in a scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
God promises that if we trust him, he will satisfy our needs and guide us, even in the middle of the desert. Every single day, we have a choice on how we look at life. We can look at the desert we sit in and only see barrenness, or we can choose to find the signs of life God is providing for us through the spring of his blessing. It would be easy to focus on the negative in a year like 2020, but we have a choice to seek God’s blessing even in the worst circumstances.
God promises us that even in a scorched land, we will be like a well-watered garden. We can choose to dwell on the desert, or we can find the spring God has provided. When we have this perspective, it’s contagious! Not only do you see the beauty yourself, but you help others have hope in the desert by showing them where God’s spring is bringing new life out of the desert. It waters our neighbors. It waters our friends. Like a desert blossoming after a spring rain, it’s our job to trust God and encourage others to also see the beauty in the desert.
What are you going to choose today? Are you going to settle for average and focus on the barrenness of the desert around you? Or are you going to turn your attention and focus on the beauty God is creating around you? Sometimes that beauty is difficult to find, but if we are intentional, we will see signs of life from the God who will satisfy our needs even in the desert. We encourage others to also see the beauty popping up in the least likely places. We each know someone who needs that encouragement during this season. Who is one person you can encourage today? Our own transformation can lead others to finding their transformation. Together, we can become well-watered gardens when we turn to God for provision.
My encouragement to you is to be well-watered. God is offering us this gift of beauty in the desert. Will you accept it? Will you share it with others who need it? Let’s end 2020 looking at the beauty of God’s spring that never fails.