Low, Dried Up Tree

As fall slowly takes the place of the warm summer weather, I have begun to miss spring. I actually really enjoy fall, but I am not a great fan of winter, so I prefer the promises spring brings. In the spring, new life begins to form and we plant seeds, prune branches, and watch leaves and flowers bloom. In the fall, we see those branches drop dead, dried up leaves all over the ground. There certainly is a time and a season for everything! In the spring of life, the beauty is in the blooming tree and its fruits. In the fall, the beauty is in the death of the leaf and its, well, fall to the earth. As the trees dry up, we seem to think less of them somehow - like they are dying or sleeping until they will awaken again in the spring. As we experience the seasons of life, we often delight in our strengths, recognizing them as gifts from God, but we usually hide our weaknesses: seeing them as evidence that we are dying or sleeping or somehow less beautiful. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Does God show up in your life? In your strength, does he show up as your source? In your weakness, does he show up as your strength? In your struggle, does he show up as your hope? Your peace? Thus says the Lord God: I Myself will take a twig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and will plant it upon a mountain high and exalted. And all the trees of the field shall know (understand and realize) that I the Lord have brought low the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. Ezekiel 17:22, 24 God will show up. He will make low the high, high the low, dry the green, and green the dried up. So if we start low, he will set us high upon a mountain. If we start dead to ourselves, he will bring us new life. Delight in the beauty of the low, dried up tree. In its own existence, it is evidence that God will bring beauty when his strength shows through our weakness. Daddy, Thank you for the seasons of life. Your power is magnificent and evident in every season. Make me a low, dried up tree so that you show through my weaknesses. Help me to delight in those weaknesses, not to hide them, for they are evidence that you are my source. Crop off anything that I have exalted and plant it as a low tree, turning it back to weakness so that you are glorified. In the name of Jesus I come to you, Amen