Fullness

​The 301 complex overlooks a valley framed by gently rolling California hills. When the round red ball of heat sinks the view is amazing.  Several nights ago after the sun had vanished, I stopped walking and stood transfixed by the beauty of a mature oak tree in front of an expansive sky wearing a bluish hue I don’t ever remember seeing before.  I wished the moment would last as I thanked God for His painting.   

I am told that when the rains come the entire landscape will turn celadon.  Now it is brown and arid.  To liven up my window ledge I bought six small plants. David, a landscaper by hobby, carefully arranged them in containers full of sand, a round stone and gnarled branch. Succulents are plants with fleshy, water-storing leaves.  In my collection are aloes and cactus that delight the eye by their unique shapes and colors.  In a sea of sand succulents stand green and survive.  For them fullness is the key to survival.  They hold precious water and live where most plants would wither and die. 
 
Meditation
Colossians 2:9,10--For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
 
 
The One who paints the sky, who creatively called into existence trees and flowers, loves His followers so magnificently that He fills them with His Spirit.  Did you know that if you believe in Jesus you are a succulent?  Jesus said, “. . . If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him” (John 7:37b, 38).   

The Holy Spirit is our fullness in a world stuck on empty.  He is the Living Water that flows inside us and makes us vibrantly green, alive in His love.  Fullness comes because of faith and rewards hope with God’s eternal presence. By divine grace fullness transforms us uniquely for the glory of the Father.  We will bear fruit if our emerald lives are internally nourished by drinking His Word.  We have been given fullness in Christ and we ought to be thankful!
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The plants on my window ledge whisper a parable.  Succulents are not afraid to take heat, testify of their source of life and hold out their arms in expectation for Christ’s return. Fullness . . . streams of living water flowing within us . . . something to think about . . . in reveration! 
 
©2003 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)