Jesus refreshes the land with His seeds as a picture of salvation. It is a picture of abundance. His kingdom shall be exalted.
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
“How lovely are … your encampments … like gardens … his seed shall be in many waters … and his kingdom shall be exalted.”
A calling
It seems that God has given me our land in Elizabeth, Colorado, to weed it and record how Christ refreshes it. I found that His work was a picture of how He refreshes us day after day with saving grace with the seeds of His Word. Without water from me, the Pasture was transformed into a Prairie that revealed a continuous parade of blooming wildflowers and buzzing bees that only God could orchestrate. I wondered at it with awe.
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
The Lord refreshes the Prairie with Wildflowers
Here are some highlights of 2020. Hover over the photos (or on a phone, tap lightly over each photo) to see dates and identifications. Notice how one type of wildflower after another emerged throughout May and June.
April 27, Prairie Bluebells (Mertensia Lanceolata)
April 28, Salt and Pepper (Lomatium orientale)and female seat bee (Lasioglossum Dialictus)
April 29, Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatum)
April 30 Spiny Star (Escobaria vivipara)
May 1, Short’s Milkvetch (Astragalus shortianus)
May 1, Sun Sedge (Carex inops)
May 2, Sand Lily (Leucocrinum montanum)
May 3, Stemless Four-Nerve Daisy (tetraneuris acaulis)
May 4, Western Groundsel (Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus)
May 5, Salt and Pepper (Erigenia bulbos)a
May 6, Early Bluetop Fleabane (Erigeron vetensis)
May 7, Orange Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
May 8, Narrowleaf (Fringed) Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum)
May 9, Wavyleaf Dandelion (Nothocalais cuspidata)
May 10, Field Milkvetch (Astragalu agrestis)
May 11, Rocky Mountain Pussytoes (Antennaria parvifolia)
May 12, Bastard Toadflax (Comandra umbellata)
May 13, Lambert’s Locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii)
May 14 Spreading Wallflower (Erysimum repandum)
May 14, Blue mustard (Chorispora tenella)
May 15, Drummond’s Milkvetch (Astragalus drummondii)
May 16, Prairie Flax (Linum lewisii)
May 17 green-flowered hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus)
May 18, Sulphur-flower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum)
May 18, Downy Paintedcup (Castilleja sessiliflora)
May 18 field full of Western Groundsels
May 19 Wiry Milkvetch (Astragalus flexuosus)
May 20 Threetooth Ragwort (Packera tridenticulata)
May 21, Orange Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
May 21 Drummond’s Rockcress (Boechera stricta)
May 21, Spreading Fleabane (Erigeron divergens)
May 22 American Vetch (Vicia americana)
May 23 Wild Iris (Iris missouriensis)
May 24 Yellow Salsify (Tragopogon dubius)
May 25 Blue Mist Penstemon (Penstemon virens)
May 26 Stemmy Four-Nerve Daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa)
May 27 Textile Onion (Allium textile)
May 28 Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum subspecies lanceolatum)
May 29 Sulphur-flower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum)
May 30 White Penstemon (Penstemon albidus)
May 31 Fendler’s Sandwort (Eremogone Fendleri)
June 1, Rocky hillside filled with Blue Penstemon
June 1, Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum)
June 1, Basin Daisy (Platyschkuhria integrifolia)
June 2, Golden Columbine (Aquilegia Chrysantha)
June 3, Cut-leaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera coronopifolia)
June 4, Scarlet Gaura (Gaura coccinea)
June 5, Scarlet Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)
June 6, Prairie Milkvetch (Astragalus laxmannii var. robustior)
June 7, Hairy Golden Aster (Heterotheca villosa)
June 8, Large-leaved Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)
June 9, Dwarf Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)
June 10, Golden Crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides)
June 11, Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus)
June 12, Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)
June 13, Narrow Leaf Yucca (Yucca angustissima)
June 13, Great Plains Yucca (Yucca glauca)
June 14, Bush Sunflower (Helianthus pumilus)
June 14, Colorado Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea)
June 15, Nebraska Lupine (Lupinus plattensis)
June 16, Platte or Prairie Thistle (Cirsium canescens)
June 18, Green Comet Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora)
June 21, Yellow Sundrops (Calylophus serrulatus)
June 22, Clustered Broomrape (Aphyllon fasciculatum)
June 22, Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea
June 23 London Rocket (Sisymbrium irio)
June 28, Bush Sunflowers (Helianthus pumilus)
June 28, Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum)
July 2, Doubtful Knight’s Spur (Consolida ajacis)
July 3, Green Comet Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora)
July 29, Dotted Blazing Star (liatris punctata)
August 1, Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis)
August 17, Broom Snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae)
August 18, Prairie Sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)
August 20, Dotted Blazing Star (liatris punctata)
August 20, Green Comet Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias viridiflora)
Sept 13, White Heath American-Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)
Sept 20, Threadleaf ragwort (Senecio flaccidus)
Sept 24, Prairie Asters (Machaeranthera tannacetifoliaare)
The work of salvation by the Holy Spirit is throughout our life
The Lord refreshes the land with a progressive blooming of wildflowers. These acts are a picture of salvation. The Lord continues to renew us all our life until we are transformed by God’s grace into the full image of Christ. Testimonies of wisdom, confirmed by God’s Word, are revealed by the Holy Spirit day after day. Our hearts are refreshed by new insights from God’s Word, even more so as we see them illustrated by Natural Revelation. One progressively has more joy, peace and hope. In response, the Christian worships God and seeks His face in prayer more and more.
Storms test our faith and our witness of God’s grace is all the greater.
There are also devastating hail storms and droughts in life. However, hope persists after our faith is tested. One can be impressed that the wildflowers and insects survived through years of harsh conditions by God’s grace. This fact makes the testimonies of the land all the more spectacular. Oh how marvelous, how wonderful, is my Savior’s love.
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
The Lord refreshes the land with insects
Insects multiply as the Lord refreshes the land. Flowers are pollinated and seeds are formed, and in the LORD’s temple, all cry “glory.”
May 3, Half-Yellow Moth on Cut-leaf Evening Primrose
May 3, Half-Yellow Moth (Ponometia semiflava)
May 3, Yellow-shouldered Drone Fly
May 4, Drone Fly and bee on Western Groundsel
May 4, Varigated Fritillary on Western Grounsel
May 4, Male Checkered White on Western Groundsel
May 5, Another native bee on Salt and Pepper
May 5, Native bee on Salt and Pepper
May 5, Hunt’s bumble bee on Western Wallflower
May 5, Orange Sulphur on Wavyleaf Dandelion
May 5, Common Checkerspot on Western Grounsel
May 9, native bee on Wavyleaf Dandellion
May 10, Green Sweat Bee on Sticky Geranium
May 10, Melissa Blue on Fendler’s Sandwort
May 13, Bumble bee on Western Wallflower
May 17, Field Crescent butterfly and two native bees on Western Groundsel
May 17, Native bee on Hedgehog cactus flower
May 21, Common Checkered Spot and Melissa Blue
May 18, wasp on Western Grounsel
May 19, Metalic Green Bee
May 19
May 20, Female Melissa Blue on Lambert’s Locoweed
May 22, Digger bee (Anthophora)
May 25, Cuckoo bee (Nomada)
May 26 Hunt’s Bumble Bee on Drummond’s Milkvetch
May 27, Mimic fly and small carpenter bee (Ceratina) on Textile onion (Allium textile)
June 2, Plume moths (Long-winged Plume, Dejongia lobidactylus) on Sticky Geranium
June 13, Metallic-Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum subgenus Dialictus) on Penstemon flower
June 17, Nuttall’s Blister Beetle (Lytta nuttallii) feeding on Nebraska Lupine
June 18, Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado)
June 18, Boisduval’s Blue (Plebejus icarioides) laying eggs on Nebraska Lupine.
June 18, Butterfly egg on lupine
June 21, Bumble bee on Platte Thistle
July 8, Common Woodnymph
August 18, American Painted Lady on Golden Crownbeard
August 20, Aphrodite Fritillary on Dotted Blazing Star
August 28, Grey Hairstreak
August 28, Grey Hairstreak
The land became a sanctuary for native plants in the area (Elizabeth, CO). Bees pollinate fruit trees and vegetables, and the neighborhood is blessed with the abundance of God’s steadfast love. Acknowledge God and sing.
For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
Thanks Neal,
What a great way to get into the day—enjoying the beauty that God has created through your photography.
Wishing you the very best today,
Chris
Chris, Thank you so much. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Neal