Hope For A Tree

“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. As the water of a lake dries up or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep. If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.” Job 14:7-14

In the darkest hour of Job’s life he still had hope [the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best]. He believed that something would turn out for the best here in the midst of the worst pain in his life. He lost his property, his children and then his health. He had nothing left but a wife that told him to leave his faith! He had friends that told him he was a sinner! But most of all He had a God that was looking at him the entire time and waited for all this to pass. This simply was a test. For many of us, we go through testing in life. Some problems are actually brought our way to test our faith. Much like Abraham finally getting a promised son as an heir then being asked to sacrifice him [Genesis 22]! We don’t always know why God allows certain situations to happen but the end result always proves something better and lasting.

Job considered himself to be a tree. He saw himself as a strong person despite having being cut down almost next to nothing. There was hope. There was a shoot that would remain. There was a shoot that would not fail. There was a part of Job that no matter how hard the blows of life came his way there was still something left. Passing through death, darkness, sickness and disease –he still felt there was something so deep and so rich that could never be taken away. That was his relationship with God. He was still going to talk to God. Whether he was happy or sad, glad or angry, with others or lonely, well or sick, with plenty or with none…Job was going to find the way to still get to the heart of God. He would not allow anything to stop his connection with God even when all else looked bleak. Job still found a way to pour out to the One that would make it better. Job still found a way to get to the One that was truly in control of his life. That was God.

Trees are strong. They have roots, depth, shape and longevity. That is the same way that we are in the faith. The same way we are when we keep a constant connection and relationship with the One who dwells in us –never leaving or forsaking us {Deuteronomy 31:6]. Even when the tree is cut there is something that remains. The core is still there. The roots are still dug in deep. There is still growth that could spring up. A tree will always remain. It is strong and can be immovable. In order for it to die it would have to be completely yanked out of the ground and pulled apart from its root. Our root and foundation is CHRIST. On Christ the solid rock we stand [Matthew 7:24] and everything else is just sinking sand.

At this point in my life, I can read this precious Word and receive this in the inner most part of me. I can say AT LEAST there is HOPE for a TREE [that’s me]. If I didn’t have hope I would have been crushed a long time ago and left this place. But my roots are seriously in Christ. I do have a new hope. There is a hope that does not disappoint when it is the one that is found through the Love of God [Romans 5:5]! My relationship with God will never end. My circumstances in life will vary from day to day, some days more difficult than others but it is possible to get through it with God on my side. I am extremely thankful that He never left my side. He is my new hope. God is my best friend, the one that loves at all times. He is my husband. He is my counselor, my deliverer and my healer. He is everything that I will ever need in life. Everything else…is just an add on because of Him. My roots will never fail because they are deeper than they have ever been in my whole life. I cry with God, I laugh with God, I scream with God, I dance with God and now I write more because of God. This new life is with God and I shall hope to share it more in depth when I write my first book.

Job declared, “I will wait for my renewal” and so it came. He had twice as much property in the end and had more beautiful children. The only difference was that his relationship with God was now more real! There are those that can speak the Word and others that will truly live it. There is a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season [Psalm 1]. This is the season that there is so much fruit. There is hope beyond measure!