Day 17 = Myrtle

(Myrtus communis)

“I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:19-20 ESV

There are many unique patterns that form in the grain of the myrtle. This fragrant tree grows slowly (it takes up to 100 years to be fully grown), and the struggle or stress during the growth of the tree causes the patterns and its unique figurations. The mature myrtle is so symmetrical it would seem to be a carefully pruned, cultivated tree. It is one of the trees Isaiah prophesied about symbolising life and fertility so the nation of Israel could know without a doubt that the hand of the Lord was in their history, present, and future.

We see this personified in the book of Esther, myrtle is the translation of the name Hadassah in Hebrew (Queen Esther’s Hebrew name). She was known for her beauty, faithfulness, struggle, and growth during her story where she grew from a Hebrew girl to a queen worthy to be written about in scripture. God planted her in a desert place where He needed life and fertility for His nation.

As Christians, we face many struggles and encounter long periods of time where it seems the breakthrough will never come. But just like Esther (Hadassah), you are planted like the myrtle to grow for such a time like this to bring life and fertility through Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank You that we can learn from the myrtle that we too have an important story just like Hadassah. May we rejoice in our struggles and long growth periods because we know you have planted us in the desert for life and fertility. May we be a sweet fragrance to those around us and to You. Amen.

Love, Pastor Iriza