A stump, a shoot

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him...."  Isaiah 11:1-2


We have gotten a lot of rain recently here in Turkana.  This is a wonderful thing!  My yard is greening up.  The rain means grass for the animals and they will then produce offspring and milk.  The people will have meat and milk.  It is a great blessing.  It is hope for life here.

For over three years, we have not gotten good rains.  Many of the trees in my yard died.  I had to cut them down because I was afraid that they would fall down.  This is not the time for rain.  It should be entering the hottest and driest time of the year here.  Instead, I have cold feet because we have had rain almost every day for a couple of weeks and not much sun.  Good rain that comes slow and soaks into the ground.  This tree stump was left to its own devices for almost a year.  With the recent rains, a shoot has appeared out of what seemed lifeless.

Advent has begun.  It is a time of waiting...yearning.  Waiting for what?  For Christ to come.  To come to us... in us as we seek him.  A time when we anticipate his coming again and realize what it means that he came in the first place.  It brings hope for life to all of us if we take the time to consider it.

Out of that stump of that fallen tree will come life.  The stump is watered by God and encouraged to grow through the centuries.  One tender branch will come from it by His grace.  That twig will become the ruling rod, the scepter that defeats sin for you and for me.  That twig makes it possible for us to once again be in right relationship with God.  That shoot is Jesus.  He brings us hope for life!

May you find time in this busy season to wait and yearn for the Lord.  May you anticipate His coming and coming again with great joy!