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DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017
When we visited Ajo, Arizona, we went on a tour of the desert south of the city. There we spotted the Ajo lily, or desert lily. It has a beautiful flower, like a smaller version of the Easter lily. It only grows in the deserts of the American Southwest and in northern Mexico. The Spanish called it the Ajo lily because the native people prepared food with its bulbs, which tasted like ajo (the Spanish word for garlic).
When I saw this beautiful plant thriving in such an arid, sandy environment, I was amazed at how God creates beauty even in the most desolate places.
God brings beauty into our lives in the same way. Even in our deserts of hurt, loneliness, and despair, God reminds us that we can thrive where we are planted and share the beauty of our faith with our neighbors. When we dedicate our lives to God, we can look past the ugliness we may see in ourselves to see God’s beauty in our lives and in the world.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Dear Lord, remind us that where we see ugliness you see beauty; where we see fear, you see hope. Amen.
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Isaiah 35:1 The desert and the dry land will be glad;
the ‘Aravah will rejoice and blossom like the lily.
2 It will burst into flower,
will rejoice with joy and singing,
will be given the glory of the L’vanon,
the splendor of Karmel and the Sharon.
They will see the glory of Adonai,
the splendor of our God.
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God can make love bloom anywhere in my life.
Someone who is lonely
The Upper Room®
Copyright © The Upper Room 2017, All rights reserved.
Header Photo Credit: "Harvested Land," Beth Shumate. August 15, 2014. (link)
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