Devotionals
Have you ever thought about nature being in us? I hadn’t either until I read my morning devotion today. A comment was made about us being the living water in someone’s desert. I hadn’t thought about that too much. Then as my mind often does, it didn’t stop there.
I, of course, was sitting outside doing my morning devotion. After reading this statement I looked at a tree. It hit me! We could be a tree providing shade or food (if we are a fruit tree) to those who are in need of rest and some food. There have been times in my life I have been really busy; going from one appointment to another, one volunteer job to another, going here and there, doing this and that. At times I have had friends who have come to me and said, “Come and sit. It is time for you to rest” and they have offered their shade tree. There shade tree might be in words of wisdom reminding me I need to sit and rest and spend time with God. It might be to invite me to lunch and ask how I am doing, or a phone call from them just letting me know they care. These people are aware I need shade from the heat and they offer theirs. Their tree has often produced food for me to eat. I have had two surgeries and four babies. Each time food was provided to my family so I could sit and rest. When I was not able to get my own food, friends picked from their tree and offered food to me. It wasn’t always food I could eat though. Sometimes friends offered me spiritual food; Bible verses, poems, stories and books that spiritually fed me. Each time my appetite was satisfied. I could move on and let someone else enjoy the tree that I had enjoyed.
The sun wasn’t shining that day. We were having a rainstorm. The rainstorm reminded me I might need to be someone’s sunshine when they are having dark, dreary days. I need to be shining brightly and offer the light to others. I was experiencing a really difficult time when Angie was in the hospital having Allie. I had never been around anyone who had a seizure. I was scared and alone. I had her younger sister with me, but she was frightened too. My husband was in Texas and I was alone. Just a few minutes after we were ushered out of the room while they worked on her, a friend called me on my cell phone. God had placed me in her thoughts and she knew she needed to call. At that minute she was my sunshine. She prayed with me over the phone, calmed me down, and reminded me who was in charge. After that the sun shone through the clouds. There have been other times when it was dark and dreary in my life, and someone has brought sunshine into my life. It might have been a kind word, a thoughtful deed or just their presence. It was just what I needed at the time, a ray of sunshine.
Then I came back to the statement that was made in the devotion, “a river of life for those in the desert.” I may be able to offer Christ to someone who is in the desert and needs a taste of water. Jesus talked in the Bible about offering water to others. The water he talked about would quench the thirst. I may come across someone who doesn’t know Christ while on my journey. They may be in the desert searching for water that will quench their thirst. I need to be the vessel for God’s living water. I need to bring them to the water and offer them a drink. They may not drink the water from my river, but I need to offer it to them.
Finally, I looked at my flowers. I saw beauty in them. How many people around us never see the beauty in God’s creation? How many people are always seeing the negative things in life and can’t see the positive beautiful things in life? Things can seem pretty ugly today with the recession, the loss of jobs, sickness, and even the loss of morality. We need to share the beauty of a flower with them. We need to remind them of the one who created the beauty of a flower. We need to let them know it’s time not to just stop and smell the roses, but they need to see the roses. They need to see God’s handiwork even in today’s world. Show them a newborn babe and remind them of the miracle of birth. Show them the beauty of a new baby bird trying to fly for the first time, or the smell of rain after a long absence of it and the beauty of a rainbow. There is beauty all around us. Sometimes people forget to look at the beauty; all they see is ugliness and despair. Share a flower with them today.
Yes, if we allow God to work in our lives we can be a tree, a flower, sunshine, and even a vessel for living water. These are new ideas God has shared with me and I hope they are fresh new ideas for you as well. The next time you look at a tree, will it remind you to share the shade of your tree? When the sun is shining so brightly we have to block our eyes, will it remind you to share your sunshine with others? Will you offer living water to someone who needs it in the desert? That one person God puts in our path just may need us to be a tree, the sun, a flower or a vessel of living water. Will you be ready?
“Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;”
Genesis 18:4
“Jesus answered,’ everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life.’”
John 4:13-14
Prayer
Dear Lord, help me to look around and see who needs to rest under my shade tree and let me offer shade and rest from the harsh elements of life. Some may need for me to share the brightness of my sun with them in their dark and cloudy world. Remind me you have given the sun for all of us, it’s not just mine alone. I rejoice in the beauty of the flowers you have given me, but there are some that have no beauty around them. Let me share some flowers with them today and to help make their world a little prettier. There are those around me that are living in the desert and longing for a drink of water to refresh them. Let me offer them a drink from your living water so they may thirst no more. Sometimes I am in need of these things. Help me to accept these gifts of nature that are offered to me when I need them and not turn away from you. I love you Lord and am willing to be your vessel, whether it is a tree, flower, sun or the river. Amen.
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