Juniper berries apparently are used in cooking, but the more common usage is that Juniper berries are what gives a gin martini its unique flavoring.
Juniper Tree
In the part of the world where I live, I am not even sure if Juniper berries are available for cooking, and I am certainly not into drinking Gin or any alcoholic beverages.
So why write about Junipers?
Because there was something about these berries that grabbed my interest:
They are exotic.
They are drought tolerant.
They grow without a fuss.
They grow in unlikely places.
So where would anyone looking for junipers go?
Not to common places, but to unlikely places, the wastelands.
I am reminded of a time when I had taken up a full-time corporate job and all new hires underwent an induction program. The process was for a night shift at a 24/7 multinational company, and they had planned the training sessions to start at 4 AM in the morning.
It was odd timing. Still, I did not allow the odd shift to affect my prayer life.
I still ensured attending church, praying, and spending time in worship at home and reading the Word. There was no compromise in my time with the Lord.
At the end of the training, we were given a test.
When the test results came the trainer called me over and said, ‘ Sophie to be honest, when I observed the way, you sat quietly during the training I thought you were dumb and did not understand anything I was teaching.’
This has happened to me a few times before, so I was not taken aback or react.
The trainer also said, ‘I am shocked and impressed to see your answer sheets.’
Many others in the induction class had skipped answering some of the questions which they found difficult, and the trainer passed on my answer sheet to them and asked them to read the answers on my answer sheet. I scored the highest and the organisation awarded me a certificate of excellence.
As I mentioned, something like this has happened to me a few times before where people said ‘I didn’t think you were paying attention’ or ‘ I didn’t think what you suggested would work’
That’s why I find myself relating so well to this powerful declaration God made over His people in Isaiah 41:
I will set junipers in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Isaiah 41
One of the things I learnt from the above passage is that Our God works in the most unlikely situations, in the most unlikely people, in the most unlikely places.
Can a person’s behaviour, appearance or outward personality predict the outcome of God’s work?
Can a place foretell God’s manifest glory?
Can the situation a person is in forecast how God can bless or show His power?
For a moment, let’s look at the Gospel of Mathew chapter 3 which describes John the Baptist wearing clothes made of camel’s hair, eating locusts and honey, and preaching a message of repentance.
Where is he preaching?
In the wilderness, the most unlikely place for a sermon.
Neither his clothing nor his personality can make anyone think that he is the right person to preach. Imagine a preacher who wears camel hair clothing and eats locusts.
Yet people from Jerusalem, all across Judea, and the entire region, come all the way to that wilderness to confess their sin and to be baptized by John in the river Jordan.
Then one day as he is doing the same thing and looks up, something is different.
There’s a visitor and He’s not one of the normal visitors.
‘Go on and baptize me’ The visitor tells him.
Who is this unusual new visitor?
It’s Jesus.
He looks just like a normal man, but John’s spirit can discern that this person asking to be baptized is different, is greater.
John hesitates saying ‘I am not good enough to even untie your shoelaces’
‘Come on baptize me’ Jesus tells him again.
John obeys.
Suddenly the glory of God fills that unlikely place and God’s voice echoes from heaven ‘This is my Beloved Son’
Who did God use to manifest His presence that was missing for years among God’s people?
The most unlikely looking man, preaching in the most unlikely place.
Junipers in wastelands.
I prayed and asked the Lord to reveal what He was trying to teach us by mentioning about Junipers in wastelands.
What the Lord revealed to me is something truly remarkable.
Maybe you are a person with whom it seems like it is unlikely that you will ever make it big in life.
Maybe you are caught up in the most unlikely situation. Stuck in the most unlikely place.
Maybe there is a calling over your life.
You are gifted and talented and yet you are in obscurity.
Maybe you are called to be a giver, but you are living in lack.
Called to be a problem solver for others yet find yourself caught up in your own troubles.
A leader born to lead but stuck in the rut.
A passionate teacher called to teach but struggling to find your platform.
Highly skilled in a particular area yet sweating behind the scenes unrecognized
A mother called to raise great kids, yet you have not seen life beyond the confines of your kitchen
You are the juniper in the wasteland.
You are the juniper that will find God right in the middle of the wasteland.
Just like the juniper, you are created to be drought tolerant. The external situations will not wither you. The hand of the Lord will give you victory right where you are.
Today may the Lord fulfil His plan, His purpose, and His promised Word towards you and may His light shine on you and bring you out of obscurity, out of the darkness, out of the rut.
May the spirit of God locate you, your work, your talent, your desires, your dreams.
May the Spirit of God bind your frustrations and anger and pain and set you free and position you in the winning place that you were destined to be.
In Jesus Name.
I will set junipers in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Isaiah 41
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