Life in the Midst of Death
This year I planted a container/palette garden for the first time. It’s been fun to see what grows and what doesn’t, and to make plans for what I might try next year. Though it is now technically fall, temperatures have stubbornly remained in the low 90’s, refusing to give way to cooler autumn temperatures even as Pumpkin Spice everything floods the stores and restaurants. A little over a month ago, my tomato plant gave me the last of it’s fruit and died off…or so I thought. Two weeks ago, despite all the dead, brown leaves, I noticed little yellow blooms, and now a small tomato has grown from what appeared to be dead. And just the other day I noticed after 2-3 months of no lettuce, somehow tiny sprouts are now pushing their way through the dirt. What appeared to be dead has come back to life!
God loves to surprise us by bringing life from what appeared to be dead. He did it with Jesus’ resurrection and in the raising of Lazarus. These two men didn’t just appear to be dead, they were, to reference the Wizard of Oz, really most sincerely dead (and now you’re singing the song. You’re welcome.). And yet God was able to cause something to happen that was the absolute opposite of what people saw with their eyes. I believe God delights in doing this for us as well. That relationship you thought was dead, the career you thought was over, the dream you thought had died…God wants you to know today that He is not done! He is the One who can cause life to come forth in the midst of death. Notice where the tomato grew on the plant. It didn’t grow on top, it grew in the middle, with death surrounding it. Believe today that regardless of how your circumstances may scream at you that death has claimed your dream, God is still in control and He is powerful enough to resurrect that dream if He so chooses. The only reason to walk away from that dream is if the Lord has clearly shown you it is time to let go and move on. Walking away because things appear dead may cause us to miss the miracle God is preparing for us. Seek the Lord’s wisdom and if you feel He is asking you to believe and wait on Him, then plant your feet firmly and refuse to give up hope! What appears dead may, in fact, be harboring new life deep within that is just waiting to spring forth at the appointed time.
Look for signs of new life today. Where is God setting you up for a miracle? How does He want you to respond until the miracle happens? Let our prayer be that God would help us be strong in our faith, expectant of His goodness, and able to wait well.