Flowers in the wilderness

By Michael Pemberton

 “Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; to cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?” –Job 38:25-27

The hot Texas sun had been brutally exercising my sweat glands for hours. But I was way past caring. The combination of a friend's suicide and the destruction of some major plans left my heart feeling like a tomato in a blender. And this hike was NOT doing me the good I thought it would. Then there that annoying noise I'd been hearing for the last twenty minutes. It seemed to pulse from the canyon walls all around me. A rapid harmonic thud, like when you have an ear infection and all you can hear is the sound of blood pumping through your eardrum. Downright annoying.

The canyon narrowed and divided in front of me, so I paused in the shade of a mesquite tree while I decided which way to go. I figured out that the annoying sound was coming from the right fork. I’ll take that way. About thirty yards down the path I was stopped short by the sight. I found what made the noise. There had to be a thousand of them, maybe more! One daddy longlegs on top of another in a three foot diameter pulsing, dancing blob on the canyon wall.

I have no idea how long I stood there mesmerized by the sight. Long enough for the sun to go down because it was pitch dark when I reached my car. As I pointed the wheels toward the highway, I realized the hike DID do me some good.

Finding that unexpected sight was like finding a flower of rare beauty in the middle of an otherwise desolate wilderness.  This is one of those things that God points out to Job in the midst of his deep trial, his wilderness.   Perhaps you can remember the time when you found an unexpected blessing in the midst of a deep trial.  Do you remember how you felt?  I do.  I felt awestruck. Suddenly I had a sense that I was tiny, my problems temporal.  I realized that God had plans that kept the entire universe in perfect order.  That his plans put marvelously complex and beautiful things in places where practically nobody would ever see them, for reasons all his own, and to inspire wilderness wanderers.  Surely he could handle my life.  Perhaps it's been a while since you took notice of the amazing providence of God.

How we deal with the wilderness is largely a matter of faith. King David said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” -Ps 27:13.  Do you believe you’ll see the goodness of the Lord in your life?

But just for a moment, let’s look at if from the flower's (daddy longlegs) point of view.  The flower could complain, “I'm stuck in this wilderness!”  It could ask, “What purpose do I serve out here in the desolation?”  Or, “Why is God doing this to me?”  Job did.  If you have ever thought those things, you may be somebody else's unexpected blessing.  Job is.  In fact, Job has been a comfort to untold multitudes that have read the story of his trial while going through their own.  Those insects were probably unaware of my presence on that hot Texas afternoon.  They just danced the dance that God had choreographed for them eons ago.  But they blessed me, and by just “living by faith” during your trial, you can bless others.

One final application.  At this season of the year, it would be good to consider that there was never a more beautiful budding flower than Jesus.  And there was never a more desolate and foreboding wilderness than this old world.  God put his only begotten son in the wilderness of the world, and he has been an inspiration to everyone who has seen his beauty ever since.  This is a good time to remember him and thank God for putting him in the world.