The Wilderness Will Bloom
When life seems dry like the desert, that doesn't mean it's not teeming with activity, growth, and beauty.
I recently listened to a podcast where the guest discussed a sign in their home that says “The wilderness blooms like a rose" and I thought that was a lovely, yet pecurely phrase. How could the dry, desolate, colorless desert resemble anything as bright, voluptuous, and pristine as a rose?
She explained it came from Isaiah 35, so I decided to read that chapter of Scripture, and I was overwhelmed with the striking beauty of God’s goodness portrayed from the words of the prophet, Isaiah.
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.Isaiah 35 (NIV)
We tend to describe seasons of life that are difficult or absent of joy as a wilderness season like Jesus out in the wilderness for 40 days without food. There are seasons of life that feel desolate, empty, and devoid of fruit or goodness. It’s okay and even healthy to admit if that’s the season you’re walking through.
But what tends to happen in our acknowledgment of “wilderness seasons” is we forget or disbelieve that God is with us, even there.
When we are walking through wilderness seasons, we often forget that not only is God with us but He can and will make something beautiful bloom, even here.
Did you know that deserts are often home to over 2,000 different species of plants and wildlife? The Sahara desert is known as one of the most extreme environments on the earth, yet over 1,200 species thrive there.
The plants have learned to adapt over time to the harsh weather by deepening their roots to allow them to store more water as they only see 1-4 inches of rain per year.1
While we often think of a desert as lifeless or dead, it is anything but. Just like desert plants, God created humanity to adapt to seasons of gruesome heat and spiritual dryness by offering a path to deepen our roots and store water for the possible droughts that life supplies.
Isaiah spoke to the Israelites as they were facing exile. They had a long wilderness ahead of them, but God planned to bring life through that season and ultimate redemption for His people.
God’s plan was fulfilled in the life of Jesus, offering His people a new way forward out of darkness into light, and Isaiah also pointed to the ultimate day of restoration when God will make all things new in the new Heavens and new Earth.2
In the meantime though, God shows us grace through the life of His creation in the most unlikely circumstances.
Blossoms do not speak only to a plant’s survival, but show that the plant is full of life, abundantly thriving.
No matter the season of worries, pain, doubt, or suffering you might be walking through, God is with you in the desert, and there is a promise of blooms in the wilderness of your soul.
It might show up as dinner with a friend, a sweet treat baked with love, a walk through God’s nature that reminds you of His vast creation, or a simple hug from a loved one. It might be a lady bug landing on your arm, the sun peaking through the clouds, or a warm fire.
You might not see the blossoms immediately, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t growing in the rich soil of God’s faithfulness. Maybe one day, you’ll be walking toward a season of lavish joy, and when you look back on the desert you’re departing, you’ll notice all the spots along the path that bloomed.
God shows up in the smallest moments, even of our wilderness seasons, to show us a way forward, enjoying the lively beauty within the desert instead of just trying to trudge our way through with our heads down.
This is my prayer for my soul and your soul this season—as we look to find the peace of Christ in our hearts this advent…
May we root our lives deep enough with God’s truth in Scripture, His beauty in nature, and other people in community so we have a well of water stored for the dry seasons.
May we discover beauty in the most unlikely places and surrender our souls in the wilderness to bloom wild, free, hopeful, and abundant.
May we wander through the sand with fortified strength because we know the Prince of Peace who calms the seas and causes the sun to stand still is with us in every step we take.
Even here, in the wilderness of life, when all feels lost and the soul is heavy and dry—God is with, and He draws out the blooming flowers from the dry, cracked, hardened ground.
Even here, may God’s peace be with you and carry you forward.
Tips for Rooting Yourself in the Wilderness
Tell a friend about your journey, where you’re at, where you see yourself going, and how they can show up for you along the way.
Focus on God’s truth. If your time is spent more often in escaping reality through movies, books, and tv shows than it is spent in the Word, then consider an adjustment. Books, movies, and TV Shows aren’t bad, but in wilderness seasons, they can too quickly affect your mood or perception of yourself and the world to something unhealthy.
Read or listen to the Bible as often as possible, find worship or podcasts that help you reflect on or learn more about God, and let that be the foundation of your consumption.
Stay in contact with friends, even when you don’t want to talk with anyone.
Get out. It can be so easy to isolate and not find the energy to feel like a “normal human” during these seasons, but challenge yourself to make plans for something fun and stick to it. You’ll probably be surprised at how glad you are that you went even though you wanted nothing more than an excuse to stay home.
Journal. You may not be a writer, but journaling is a practice that helps move your stuck feelings and thoughts from within you to the page. You may just be surprised at how unrealistic your thoughts and feelings are when you re-read them on paper. God can meet you there, too, and He might even reveal things while you release the words.
Delete social media. I love Instagram as much as anyone else, but when we are already in a slump, down in the dumps, feeling the weight of the world on our shoulders, lost with no direction, or seemingly hopeless, social media exasperates those feelings and can often lead us to believe lies about ourselves, God, or the world.
It doesn’t have to be permanent, but say yes to things that honor your season of life for your mental health and spiritual well-being.
Move your body. I know it’s what everyone is saying but there’s a reason for that. Personally, I am not my best self if I am inactive, not going out on walks or runs, or at least moving my body in some way every day.
It’s not about losing weight or keeping up with your fittest friends. It’s about leaning into the body God gave you as the vessel to live, move, breathe, and be the church to those around you. You can’t do that well if the vessel He gave you is stagnant.
Just because your life feels stagnant like the desert does not mean you have to be. Remember, there is more life beneath the surface of a desert than we realize. Movement allows that life to rise above the surface and bloom.
Be honest with yourself, your spouse or a trusted friend, and most importantly, with God. Check in daily to assess where you’re at emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Set small, achievable goals to make progress each day in moving forward and showing up as God created you to.
Give yourself lots of grace, but don’t be so easy on yourself that you lose yourself in the process.
https://www.sciencing.com/top-10-plants-sahara-desert-6941228/
Revelation 21:1:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea."
What a beautiful post Stephanie. 🥹🥰