Last Thursday I went out to the Anza Borrego desert.
It was on fire with bright yellow California poppies, flaming red Ocotillo, with the magenta blooms of the beaver tail cactus.
The desert floor was silver cholla, blazing in the sun, golden poppy, burning up the rocks, roaring Ocotillo, rowdy red against bright blue sky.
The fire was from God, the gold was from God, the earth and all the rich, warm, glorious colors that pop out of it after it rains — and suns — from God.
Beauty is from God. Fire, which makes gold shine, which makes it pure — also from God.
In the book of Revelation, God speaks saying, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself …”
God is with us — as refining fire, as beautiful fire!
Do not be afraid. His fire is a warmth, a goodness, a beauty-making thing, a white-robed, holy making thing.
We are deserts. God is rain and sun, to help us bloom, to dress us in the beauty of magenta, of golden yellow, of flaming red.
Our God is a refinery, crafting and refining beautiful lives.
Run to him, give him everything, buy the refiner’s gold, grow rich — in beauty.
Thrive! 