I recently returned from the Sonoran Desert, the only place in the world where you can find the iconic saguaro cactus (pronounced suh-waa-row). If you are picturing the kind of tall cactus with arms you see in a Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon, you are on the right track.
The landscape of this desert is breathtaking, and these cacti are a large part of that beauty. I’ve gotten a bit fascinated with them; they have the same characteristics that allow all cacti to survive in very harsh circumstances, but on steroids.
I’ve been meditating lately on what I can learn about God and His ways from these beautiful desert giants.
Here are some fun facts to consider:
- Saguaro cacti are the largest cacti in the world. With the capacity to grow between 40 and 50 feet tall, they stand head and shoulders above their nearest neighbors. As such, they are majestic and command attention. They also point to the majesty and glory of our creative God.
We, too, are made majestically and designed to stand out in the world. Speaking of mankind, the Psalmist wrote: “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.” (Psalm 8:5-6, NIV)
- Saguaros thrive in very harsh circumstances because of the specific design God gave them to survive and thrive in their habitats.
You may not always feel as majestic as Psalm 8 asserts you are, and difficult circumstances can certainly cause us to feel anything but “crowned with glory and honor.” But God knows all about you and your circumstances. Acts 17:26 reminds us God has marked out our “appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands” (NIV). He knows exactly where you are and what you are facing each day. Just as He has equipped the saguaro to thrive in the desert and grow to towering heights, He can and will enable you to thrive in your landscape.
- One feature that makes saguaro cacti so resilient is their extensive root system. While the thickest recorded saguaro maxed out at a circumference of thirty inches, the root systems can extend over a range of up to one hundred feet. Anchored by a nearly five foot deep taproot, these cacti send out a huge maze shallow roots just below the surface to allow for the collection of more water.
I’m reminded of the lyrics to a worship song from my childhood, which reminds us of a fountain from God flowing both deeply and widely. Jesus spoke of such living water in John 7:37-39. We are exhorted by Paul to pay attention to rooting ourselves deeply in Christ in Colossians 2:6-7 and Ephesians 3:17. Where we are rooted greatly impacts our resilience.
- A second feature of a saguaro’s resilience is the way God designed it to hold an enormous amount of water within its flexible, waxy-like skin. The interior of a saguaro is filled with a sponge-like substance and as more water is absorbed, the skin of the cactus expands like the folds on an accordion. A large saguaro can hold more than 1,000 gallons of water. No wonder these plants can thrive in a desert!
Our God provides abundantly. He is an unending source of nourishment for His children. His Word also reveals He will expand our hearts and increase our capacity for Him. Psalm 119:32 speaks of God grow the capacity of our hearts and our understanding. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:18-19 for believers to experience a larger and larger understanding of God’s love. There is always more of Him to nourish us, but we must be intentional to position ourselves to store up His treasures and His presence in our hearts.
Whether you are in a season of drought or a season of abundance, you can see the beauty and lessons of the way God created a saguaro cactus. The smart saguaro knows to absorb and hold as much water as possible in seasons of rain, so that it can be sustained and nurtured through the deepest drought. May we learn some lessons from these desert giants.
For a help to nourish your soul, I encourage you to subscribe to my twice-monthly email. Each edition offers encouragement, truth from God's Word, and simple tools you can use to sink your roots more deeply into Him and His love for you.