A hard winter freeze destroyed many plants and shrubs in my yard. They look pathetic, really.
I have four sweet olive trees, once evergreen, now leafless and sparse. I wondered if I would ever delight in their sweet scent again.
Upon further inspection, a green layer hides underneath that dry, gray bark. It speaks of beauty to come. Beauty from devastation. A speck of hope that, once touched by the sun of Spring, will find new life.
While a storm robbed it of its leaves and color, I look forward to the day I get to see its beauty once again, inhale its sweet fragrance and rest in its shade.
Does your life sometimes mirror that sweet olive tree? I know mine has at times.
Cold. Hard. Uninviting. Withdrawn and without hope.
But beneath our exterior, we hope for better things to come.
Beauty from devastation
Jesus Christ offers us that hope. He is the lifeblood within us. He brings beauty from our devastation. And he will give us new strength that allows us to grow and flourish.
Be encouraged, my friend. This season of sadness or emptiness will one day blossom into life again. Life that comes from the life-giver Himself.
If you know Him, you know He is faithful. Cling to Him in the good days as well as the not-so-good days.
If you do not have a relationship with God and don’t know the love of Christ, would you trust Him today? Jesus sees great value in you and tenderly calls your name. Receive His gift of salvation by putting your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Receiving His salvation means recognizing that you are a sinner, repenting of your sin, confessing with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.
All who receive His salvation are changed by the Holy Spirit and are born again, becoming children of God and receiving eternal life with God.
That sweet olive tree appears dead. But it will look alive again one day. Thank God He can do the same with us. He can take a life that’s broken and without hope and transform it into a vibrant and full life.
