19th. May. 2021. Daily Devotion.
Isaiah 55:12-13
12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn-bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure for ever.’
When Isaiah writes that the juniper will grow instead of the thornbush, I think of the thorny, invasive plants that grow near our house and are extremely hard to get rid of. What a gift it would be to have those rooted out for good! Thornbushes and briers make places inhospitable to people and many animals, so to have those harsh plants replaced by junipers and myrtle would be wonderful. This means not only that the situation would be more bearable, but also that the shrubs and trees replacing the unwanted plants would be edible and medicinal. Junipers and myrtles are beautiful as well as functional: junipers have antiseptic properties, and myrtles provide delicious, nutrient-rich berries and have leaves that can be used for medicine.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that our amazing God would replace thorns with shrubs and trees that are both pleasant to the sight and good for food? This demonstrates God’s attentive care for his people.
In what ways do you see God at work in your life, replacing thorns and briers with things that are both pleasant and good?
~ J P Vanderveen.
Lord, please root out the thornbushes of discontent, struggle, and strife in our lives. And fill us with healing and nourishment, that we may join with creation in praising you. Amen.
Words to encourage us in tough times by Peter Millar
The God of ancient calm:
God of azure sky, and broad horizon, of sandy creek and shady gum,
God of weathered, broody, silent ranges, of quiet, evening billabong.
God of searing heat and dry dust bowls, of lightning strike and raging fire,
God of fearful, howling tearing cyclone, of swirling, muddy, inland flood.
God of ancient calm let your peace still us,
God of fearful storm fill us with awe,
God of lonely plains touch the empty spaces within us,
Where we are vulnerable enough to meet You.
~ Adapted from a prayer used in the Uniting Church of Australia.
For India’s peoples
Light of every burdened heart, illumine Your sacred land of India:
Breathe hope into its suffering and fear-filled places,
Transforming its people’s grieving and unknowing.
~Peter Millar – based on a prayer by Matthew Lamont of Australia
A Navajo Blessing:
Be still within yourself and know that the trail is beautiful. May the winds be gentle upon your face, and your whole direction be straight and true as the flight of an eagle. Walk in harmony with Nature, with God and all People.
