Desert Roses

When our family lived back East and later in the Midwest, we enjoyed green lawns courtesy of abundant rain. Occasionally, we had to water the grass and plants by hand but only occasionally. Colorado in the good old summertime is a far different story. If we didn’t run our sprinkler system twice a day, we wouldn’t have a lawn. We would have a desert plot. Our semi-arid climate produces brown landscapes. Somehow weeds do just fine, though. Maybe I should plant weeds next spring.

Much of Israel’s landscape resembles parts of Colorado. It is green where water flows, but brown elsewhere. The Negev has all the qualities of a dry, barren desert, but when Jesus establishes His kingdom, with Jerusalem as the capital, the desert will receive a remarkable facelift. It will blossom kike a rose (Isaiah 35:1). Forests will spring up (v. 2). And grasslands, ponds, and marshes will add to the beauty (v. 7).

It’s just like Jesus to turn barrenness into beauty. He does that in the life of everyone who trusts in Him. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and marvel at the beautification process He has begun in your life.