Finding Hope in the Desert

The sermon last sunday talked about how the dormant desert is a great picture for Advent. Advent is the season of waiting. We wait not only for Christmas to come, but we wait for Christ to return. Advent reminds us that we live in an "already/not yet" world. God has come to us as Jesus, and we are promised that some day Jesus will return and we will see the final fulfillment of all God's promises.

Sometimes we look at our lives and see only a dormant desolate desert:

But, even in the midst of the desert, we need not despair. First, we need to recognize there is much life even in the desert. And, second, we recognize that God brings color and beauty to the desert in the spring, and so God has promised to renew and restore our desert-like souls so that they shine with the color and light of Christ.

I also shared what I learned about the Saguaro Cactus. They grow very slowly. It takes 70 or more years for them to grow a single arm. They grow slowly, and like this picture, sometimes strangely. But, they are beautiful. Similarly, when we are faithful about our spiritual disciplines God grows us. We may not always see the growth right away, and it may seem like the growth is slow but it is happening. So, continue to be faithful to your prayers and your devotions. Remember that God is working, even in the desert.