No doubt you’ve seen a movie or two with at least one desert scene, in which the protagonists must withstand brutal heat and scarcity of water. (Did Lawrence of Arabia, Flight of the Phoenix, or The Way Back come to mind?)
Some of us have even visited a desert—perhaps the Great Basin or the Mojave here in America, the Sahara in Africa, or the Negev in Israel:
Note the limestone and chalk landforms of the Negev—barren rocky cliffs and ravines, desolate summits and valleys, and of course, sand.
As is true of all deserts, the Negev is arid and stark—most of the year. But then come the months of February and March—the rainy season—and oh, what a transformation takes place.
The bleakness turns to an exuberance of vibrant flowers, including:
Arabian Primrose
Desert Tulip
Desert Hollyhock
Negev Iris
Water bestows the miracle of life, facilitating photosynthesis and transporting nutrients from the soil.
And as water brings life to the desert, so God’s grace brings the miracle of life to our hearts.
His lavish grace falls like rain [1]; and oh, what a transformation takes place!
Consider the following aspects of renewal:
1. God’s grace cleanses the dusty grime of sin from our souls (Psalm 51:2).
God knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust. But out of his grace-filled forgiveness he washes away all wrongdoing, and lovingly works to make us more than we are [2].
2. God’s grace like rain provides the miracle of eternal life (Revelation 21:6).
Jesus makes it possible for us to move from living death to deathless life [3].
3. God’s grace nourishes and invigorates our spirits (John 7:38).
He uses many means to soak his truth into the depths of our hearts, providing refreshment, renewal, and encouragement. One primary example: the Bible.
When we disregard God’s Word, we expose ourselves to aridness of spirit.
4. God’s grace brings fruitful productivity to our lives (Isaiah 58:11).
A number of plants in the Negev provide food, including the seeds of the canarian aizoon, the stems and leaves of the carrechtera, the roots of the desert broomrape, and the flowers of the coarse rocket.
Similarly, the Spirit of God nurtures fruit within us–pleasing attributes like love, kindness, goodness, and more (Galatians 5:22-23). As we grow in our relationship with him, so do these attractive fruit.
5. God’s grace-like-rain showers us with blessing (Isaiah 41:17-18).
Flowers of joy, peace, hope, and more can flourish in the most desolate of places, when we allow God to infuse us with his all-sufficient presence.
6. God’s grace gives us refreshment and pleasure (Jeremiah 31:25; Isaiah 44:3).
He will do us good, real good, lasting good,
only good, every good.
With this promise in our hearts,
we need not fear.
–Charles Spurgeon [4]
7. God’s grace creates radiant beauty in a life that was once a wasteland (Psalm 34:5).
That radiant beauty is characterized by smiles of joy, an attitude of contentment, a voice of wisdom and encouragement, an outlook of faith, and a heart of love.
Praise God, his love flows freely to the unlovely [5], developing such beauty!
His grace-like-rain washes over us, bestowing all these aspects of the abundant life to those who are thirsty.
Will you come?
[1] Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning, 259.
[2] Psalm 103:14; Ruth Graham, Blessings for a Mother’s Day, 101.
[3] Jack Odell, from Quote/Unquote, compiled by Lloyd Cory, 284.
[4] Charles Spurgeon, Faith’s Checkbook, May 28.
[5] A. W. Tozer
Art & photo credits: www.commons.wikipedia.org; http://www.imaggeo.egu.eu; http://www.identify.plantnet.org; http://www.commons.wikipedia.org (3); http://www.stocksnap.io; http://www.commonswikipedia.org; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.rawpixel.com.
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From the Inside Out 
Nancy, this morning, doing time in a waiting room, I pored over Seeing Gardens, by Sam Abell, a glorious coffee table book showcasing gardens across the globe. Lush. Burgeoning. Alive with drama. Now, I am equally taken by these wasteland survivor/thriver names: canarian aizoon, carrechtera, broomrape, coarse rocket. What scope for praise! Thank you for drawing me to the Source, yet again. Wellspring of beauty and truth.
AMEN, Laurie! With you I praise our Wellspring of beauty and truth who never ceases to surprise, amaze, and inspire!
Yes, his grace comes like rain in the desert. Beautiful post!
TT
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Thank you, Michele, and praise God you found beauty here!
What a difference the refreshing rain makes in the Negev, and what a life-giving God’s rain of blessings makes in ours! Our beauty and potential sleeps as it were dead until God makes His springs of hope, peace and love well within us.
This is such an amazing analogy, Nancy, and every word holds such promise for a rich and abundant life.
Blessings!
Thank you, Martha. Your gift of poetry and insight especially shine in that second sentence! With you I praise God for his life-giving power, bringing endless, positive benefits to our lives!
What marvelous and amazing grace is the sweet Grace of God.
AMEN, Brenda! The more we explore, the more wonders of his grace we discover. And never will we reach the end–Hallelujah!
Amen 🙏🏽
I never knew life could blossom so magnificently in the dry, dusty sands of the Negev as you have illustrated so well. Praise God for His Grace and the Living Water! 🙂
Praising him with you, Nancy!
I am constantly amazed at water. So life giving. I was in a desert during bloom once…amazing
To see so much beauty come forth from such barrenness must be a thrilling experience!
Beautiful metaphor as we prepare for a season of repentance and rejoice in God’s grace and forgiveness.
I had not made the connection of this post in relation to the beginning of Lent next week! Thank you for bringing that to our attention, Linda. I also appreciate your joining of repentance with rejoicing. We are sorrowful for our sins that sent Jesus to the cross, but we rejoice in his amazing grace. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
I love this. What a beautiful reminder of the power in God’s grace and Living Water 🙌
Thank you, Bridget. Praise God you found beauty here!
What a refreshing and reassuring read this is today. Thank you!
Thank YOU, Jean. So glad you found refreshment and reassurance here!
Beautiful and inspiring post! God’s love does rain down upon us; He creates an eternal springtime within our hearts. Holy raindrops of love nurture our souls and heal the broken places. Thank you for sharing these awesome photos, Bible verses, and reflections…
You’re welcome, Linda. Such realizations as you highlighted do indeed refresh our souls. Praise God you found inspiration here!
The beauty of those desert flowers reminds me of how God brings beauty from ashes–desert ashes. His rain is a sacred gift to our souls. This is so beautifully reflective of His grace and mercy toward us as He showers us extravagantly with His goodness. Thanks so much for this–so inspirational.
Thank you, Dayle. I’m delighted you found inspiration here–praise God! You’ve touched on an important facet of our faith: reflection. As we meditate on our Heavenly Father and his extravagant goodness, we’re strengthened, uplifted, and humbled–attributes that contribute to the abundant life!
God’s grace is truly amazing and you have described it beautifully, Nancy. I love this: “Jesus makes it possible for us to move from living death to deathless life.” I pray that my life will exhibit the flowers of His grace washing over me every day!
Oh yes–I join you in that prayer, Patty!
Beautiful post enhanced by the gorgeous pictures you provided. It brought to mind the words of The Doxology “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” written by Thomas Ken (1637-1711). The more time we spend in the Word and in prayer more we experience the blessings that flow like water to a thirsty soul.
Thank you, Cheri, and AMEN to that last statement!
As I read this post we’re getting a healthy dose of rain here in the South. It’s so calming to see and hear, with, as you say, a deeper meaning behind those drops than many would consider.
God offers countless object lessons in creation, teaching us about himself almost everywhere we look. Rain is certainly one of those entities! I was surprised how many connections I found between rain and our spiritual lives while researching for this post!
The pictures are awesome. Thanks for the reminder of what God does for us – of his truly amazing grace.
Thank you, Barb. I hate to think where I’d be if it wasn’t for God’s amazing grace that saved a wretch like me!
Nancy,
Oh to be refreshed! So many things in life look dry and barren. But springs of living water! Thank you, Lord.
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
Yes indeed, Gary. Praise God for his springs of living water that bring new life!
💘 Happy Valentine’s Day, Nancy!
Thank you, Linda! We enjoyed a delicious Valentine lunch, ending with a chocolate souffle topped with raspberry sauce. SO delicious! I hope you two enjoyed a lovely day also!
Well count me in, Nancy! Id love to come! 😊
So glad you’re among us, Stacey!
Scrolling back in time to find this faith-nourishing testament, my faith feels the rejuvenating Spirit. Nancy, thank you for sharing your witness, gift of writing, and timeless research.
Thank you so much Richard for your encouragement. I actually enjoy the research required by some posts, taking great delight in learning and making new discoveries!