“The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.”
– Daniel 4:26
A couple of days ago, I asked you to read Isaiah 11 and you may recall that in that passage, Jesus was referred to as a shoot that came up from the stump of Jesse. In several places in the Bible, stump is used to describe something that is dead but will ultimately be restored, including God’s people and the coming of their Messiah. You see, since a stump still has roots, it is never without the possibility of growth and rebirth; however, it must remain planted! Maybe you think you’re a stump and you feel like you’ve been chopped down. As a shadow of your former self, you see your life as a useless lump sticking out of the ground for others to stumble over. However, in these times, you have to remember that you’re part of something greater than yourself! Although a stump may never be the fully flowering tree it once was, because it is alive, new things can emerge from it! God can restore anything that seems broken beyond repair, including sending out a shoot from something that seems all but dead. And maybe, just maybe, that shoot will change the world! Oh, and never confuse being cut down with being pruned. A tree that’s cut down is not coming back full form, but a tree that’s pruned is just being made stronger! Even though it’s ugly and it looks battered and dead, it’s alive and ready to bear more fruit than it ever has. Friend, this is you. Though you might feel like a stump, you are not cut down forever because you are part of something much bigger than yourself! You may be undergoing some painful pruning, whether by the Hand of God or through the agony of Satanic attack, but it’s only for a season. Remember, you have to lose a few branches in order for new life to take hold. In other words, you must endure the bareness of winter in order to have an amazingly fruitful spring. So, embrace your wintertime, child of seasons, and stop looking at the darkness that surrounds you. Speak into the night and say aloud that nothing is impossible with God! Believe it and trust that in Jesus, your brightest and warmest days are always ahead! |
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for blessing my life with seasons of pruning, even though they hurt. I acknowledge that with you, new life is always coming!
Reflection
Are you in a season of pruning? If so, how can Jesus renew your hope today?
3 Responses
My husband received his new liver, im feeling overwhelmed in my caregiving role, and fearful of our future. Please pray for a full recovery for him, and for peace in our marriage.
I would describe my own version of being cut down but not destroyed as when I was bullied and taunted during my childhood.It was the darkest period in my young life.
But I knew that everything would be renewed by my rock solid faith in Jesus Christ. It was he who showed me that there would be a even better positive outcome. I am hoping and praying that Our World would find peace and happiness . I wish all at Shepherd’s Grove/ Hour of Power a blessed Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year. As always your faithful viewer of The Hour of Power and A Happy and Wholesome Student in Jesus Christ. Warm holiday wishes to the Schuller family
Your gift of ministry reaches and reaches. Thank God for you.