I was in my flower bed the other day, when I happened upon a set of roses in the bud phase. I was surprised at how little beauty actually surrounds them at this point in their growth. There seems to be a hard prickly green covering surrounding each of the prospective flowers. What are hidden to the eye are the delicate roses that are waiting to emerge and shine forth with beautiful color and fragrance. Inside each of us is that same potential, but it’s often hard to see because of the hard shell we put up and maintain around our hearts. God has a plan for each of us to bloom just like my roses, but before that can happen, we have to spend time in the growing phase. If I want my roses to continue to produce, I have to make sure that they are receiving all that they need to flourish. God does the same thing in each of our lives, if we let him. What we often fail to see is that life’s heartaches, sorrows and yes, even our sins, are the actual things that God wants to use to develop us to our full potentials so we can move from the bud stage to the production stage. Instead of trying to maneuver your way out of the pain or sorrow that you find yourself in today, recognize the hidden potential buried deep within these very moments. Praise God for his faithfulness to continue to work in your life to produce a splendid array of mature, beautiful, fragrant blossoms for all to behold.
“The Wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the rose and the autumn crocus. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing” (Isaiah 35:1-2a AMP).