FaiTHought: God Brings Life Into Dry Places
Happy Easter everybody! My prayer is that you and your family and friends have a blessed day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Leading up to this special day, I and two old friends went on retreat, beginning Good Friday afternoon. We had twenty-four hours to rest and relax, and receive some refreshment at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center in Greenwich (NY).
Saturday morning, I sat gazing on a hillside, no green yet, just shades of brown. I had taken several photographs because to me it was lovely. I sat down and began to meditate. Looking upon the landscape, I asked [myself and] God, “Why am I so taken with this view? Has your Spirit led me here?”
I sensed the Spirit respond,
“I take dry, desolate things and give them new life.”
“Is this for me?” I thought. “Yes,” came the answer, because of course we all experience dryness at some time, and lately, I had.
Often dryness, even death of some sort, proceeds life, as in the word picture of seeds that must die before they can bear fruit.
And of course, there is Jesus. He went to a desolate place–a tortured, isolated death on a cross, followed by burial in a rocky tomb. But beautiful, precious life resulted.
He came to life so that we, from the midst of our lonely, sin-wrecked lives, can come to life, because of his sacrificial death and resurrection.
But sometimes, after we’ve experienced the new life, we suffer terrible loss–a death, a separation, an illness, a (fill-in-the-blank). Life feels barren and desolate.
But today I distinctly heard the Spirit say, “He brings life to those places, too.”
David, in Psalm 92:12 writes, “The righteous [through Christ] will flourish like a palm tree; they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.”
When I opened my Bible, after the Spirit spoke to my heart about bringing life, it was this exact scripture that appeared before my eyes. A scriptural confirmation of what I felt the Spirit had said to me.
“The righteous flourish.” What a lovely verb, flourish, meaning to grow lush and productive. I heard the Spirit saying that out of dry, barrenness, life would arise.
These words give me hope. If you are in a spiritually dry place, I pray they do for you as well.
Wishing you a blessed Resurrection Sunday!
Thank you for a beautiful post! Happy Easter to you!
Thanks, AnnMarie–Happy Easter!
He Is Risen! Blessings on your Easter, Diana!
Yes! Blessings to you, too, June 🙂
A joyous Easter to you and yours. This post brought sun to my soul.
That blesses me so much, Donna. Happy Easter!
Love this Diana! He is risen, indeed! Blessings, Cecilia
Thanks so much, Cecilia, and Happy Easter 🙂
Diana, thank you for sharing this lovely post. sb
Your so welcome, Sharon. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Diana … what a beautiful post. Thanks. Have a wonderful day.
Audrey @ Timeless Treasures.
Thank you Audrey! Happy Easter 🙂
Beautiful post Diana and a very Happy Easter to you!!! Nicole xo
Thank you sweet Nicole! Happy Easter to you and your beans 🙂
…And it is in that sweet, precious time together with the Lord that we hear Him so clearly. How blessed we are to have such love and the blood of Jesus over us. Your Jesus posts are wonderful, Diana. I know that the Lord uses you in a mighty way.
You are such a precious encouragement to me Mary Ann–thank you so much. Wishing you many blessings!
Great post Diana. My daughter had her heart broken on Good Friday and I told her that Easter was the day for a new beginning. She's in desperate need of some uplifting today.
Happy Easter.
Oh, Kim. I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope and pray that she has a wonderful new beginning. Thank you for your encouragement, Kim and Happy Easter 🙂