But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant. Job 14:7-9 NET

Tuesday, as my husband and I were on our morning jog, I could see in the distance the most stunning spectacle of blossom dreaminess I have ever seen. The overcast sky gave the bountiful display an ‘otherworldliness’ feel and I had to stop and capture it on my iPhone. As I snapped the photo, I thought to myself, this tree looked completely dead only a week ago!

That thought evoked some others. Just a few days before, I spoke at a Ladies Retreat with the theme, Flourish and the main scripture text was

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-8 NLT

A few weeks before the event, I was finishing up my preparation and felt impressed that I was to share a prophetic word with the ladies that God would bring hope out of the seemingly lifeless, desert experiences. “Coincidentally”, I received an email soon after that from my youngest daughter with a news clip about the recent Super Bloom in Death Valley. (I love how God uses Chloe!) God was confirming His word with a beautiful picture in the natural of what He wants to do in lives spiritually! Take a look at this!

What an amazing sight. Death Valley’s hottest recorded temperature is 134 degrees but more often tops 120 degrees during the summer time. This year, however, just a little bit of rain transformed the desert!

One night at the retreat, towards the end of service, while ladies were worshiping and praying, I felt compelled to share the verses from Job 14:7-9 NET which is this post’s featured verse.

But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant. Job 14:7-9 NET

God spoke to many of us through the scripture. At only the “scent” of water a cut down dead stump will FLOURISH and put forth shoots like a new plant!! (Water in scripture often symbolizes the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.)

During one of the breaks at the retreat, a young lady came up to me and told me of the very difficult life she had lived since her parents divorced when she was very young. She told me that often she had pictured herself as a dead stump and that when the scripture was shared hope was revived!

But wait there’s more! So back to Tuesday. After our jog, I went on social media– I had been off for a while due to the retreat preparation but was back browsing through Pinterest–one of my great indulgences! I giggled with delight when I happened upon the cartoon below.

Oh man, I love when God speaks to us! I’m filing this as another Burning Bush Sighting! (For those of you new readers, Burning Bush Sightings are when there is no doubt God is speaking. He repeats Himself through a multitude of ways i.e. scripture, circumstances.)

Oh dear one, This Easter, may you celebrate the Hope that the One who is The Shoot from the Stump of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1 ESV; Isaiah 53:2 NIV), The Resurrection and The Life (John 11:25 NIV) has made available to us. He has made a public spectacle over all powers and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross! (Colossians 2:15) He has declared, “I am the Alpha and Omega  and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18 ESV)

There is no past sin, no illness, no relationship, no addiction, no trouble or circumstance that He cannot transform with living hope! LH