One item on my to-do list:  Visit a desert at the height of its blooming. I believe it’s one of those marvels in the natural world that God intentionally put right in front of us to give us clarity about what He does in the spiritual realm. 

Her desert will blossom like Eden,
     her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found there.
     Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.

This passage from Isaiah speaks of hope for ruined Israel. It speaks hope to every child of God going through despair, darkness, and hard times.

Can you imagine walking in a harsh, empty, wasteland that not only cannot support life but also threatens your own life as you pass through? Many of you do not need to imagine, because you have already walked through such a wilderness. Few of us, in our time on earth, escape the hard stretches of desert in our journeys. 

But God is the God of hope, and this one thing changes all of life for His children.  He gives us an abundant life full of hope. He can change a barren wilderness into the garden of the Lord. 

Isn’t that an amazing image? The desert you face, the wilderness that right now might be threatening your life, can be transformed into the Garden of Eden. 

Sounds impossible, but it is what He does. He travels with His children through the wilderness, through tests of fire and water, and holds us always in His hand. 

Because He loves us and we are precious to Him.

And not only does He take us through, He transforms the desert itself. Just as the waters of the Sea of Galilee instantly calmed when Jesus commanded them to be still, our Father can transform the desolation of my desert, making it blossom with joy and gladness, turning parched ground into springs and pools of living water.

We have abundant life in the desert Garden of Eden.

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Scripture: from Isaiah 51:3 (NLT)