“They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.” Psalm 92:13 (ESV)
A hike on a hot, humid day is quite the workout. If you haven’t tried it, you probably want to wait until the fall season when the temps are cooler and the foliage is vibrant. However, I did hike on the 4th of July and despite the sweat, grime and downpouring rain at the end, I enjoyed the challenge.
Maneuvering upward through a rocky path, the forest characterized the drought we have experienced for months. Creek beds were dried up with brown and yellow leaves covering parts of the path. And then we came to a large grouping of trees that caught my eye. The charred, black bark was evident of forest fires we had last summer on the parkway. Nothing looked more desolate and depressive than being surrounded by these charred images. Almost like a scene out of a scary suspense movie, I was so glad to push through and climb higher.
The descent back down the mountain revealed something I failed to see earlier. At the base of many of the charred trees were new, flourishing sprouts of growth. How could this happen? Trees that regenerate by re-sprouting after they’ve burned do so because they have an extensive root system. Protected underground buds where the nutrients are stored in the root system allow them to quickly sprout after a fire. Our amazing Creator God leaves nothing to chance. The One who divinely spoke trees into existence made a way for them to survive and thrive even after the worst of fires.
Sweet friends, our God offers us the same rejuvenating, flourishing beauty even in the midst of our darkest, charred places. Living in this fallen world, we experience devastating wounds from broken promises, misplaced trust and evil intents aimed to leave us lifeless and scorched. Careless, hurtful words spoken drive deep wedges. Disappointments invite disillusionment and frustration.
In the heat of the moment, we can’t even see how survival could be our default. How can we radiate growth and beauty when everything around us appears dark and desolate? Yet those who are firmly planted and deeply rooted in the truths of God’s word are divinely equipped to flourish and even bear fruit in the hardest of seasons. All of those days when we gathered at His feet and life was easy were incredible moments when deposits of His truth were richly planted in our hearts. Scriptures we memorized in quiet moments rise to the surface when opening the pages of His word seems ever so hard. Desperation speaks loud and Satan tempts as the outer man fades, yet protected within the inner man are deep roots sprouting towards God’s wisdom and intertwined with His strength.
Our amazing Creator God leaves nothing to chance. The One who divinely formed us into existence made a way for us to survive and thrive even when life’s worst happens. Like the charred exterior of those trees in the forest, the planting within our souls bursts forth with a deeper knowledge of our God and will catch the eye of everyone who passes by. What appears to be the death of us today is really a rebirthing of our soul – an unwanted chapter allowed by God for our good and His greatest glory.
“Father, we can completely trust You to use all things to cultivate growth within us. Teach us the importance of having our souls deeply rooted in Your truth so we can thrive even in the midst of hard places.”
For His Glory
Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life
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