“24 And all the trees will know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said!”.”
I can remember hiking trips in the mountains when I was a kid. We would hike in a single-file line along the trail. Naturally, the first person in line would see everything first. Sometimes he would say, “WOW!!!” The rest of us couldn’t see what he was seeing. We had to wait until we got to that point on the trail to see what was so amazing.
We planted some gladiolas this past weekend. They’re a bulb flower and are supposed to bloom in the summer. It’s still winter, and we had to dig 20 little holes and cover up the bulbs. Now we wait. The garden looks like we just smoothed the dirt over and nothing new seems to be there, but we know differently. We know 20 gladiolas were planted, and in time, we will see them. Psalm 1:3 says, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
We all want to see fruit in our lives. Sometimes it’s the season for fruit, and sometimes we’re in the off-season. How can we know that God is still speaking and moving in our lives during those seasons? Fruit trees only bear fruit in one season, the rest of the time they look like any other tree. Those times should be filled with revelation and gratitude. Your tree is not dead, the leaves are still green, they are not withering. You may be in one of those times when all you see are green leaves, and you want to see some fruit. You don’t feel special or called, you just look and feel like everyone else. Ezekiel 17:24 is for you: “I will do it!”
The Lord has not forgotten you or put you on a shelf. God is working, and He will come through. Yelling at the plant to grow won’t do any good. Getting mad at God because you don’t see any changes yet won’t help either. Instead, take time every day to thank the Lord for all He has done, even the muddy parts. My wife spends a little time working with all of our plants daily, caring for them, watering them, pruning them, and we get to enjoy them being green and healthy. If she didn’t do those things, none of the plants would look so good.
How does your life look? Is it broken, bruised, and flat-out looking bad? Prune the bad parts, water the rest, and let the Lord grow inside of you. You may not see anything at first, but in time your life will blossom. All you have to do is stay planted in the Lord and meditate on His Word every day. “I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”
Prayer: Father, help us be content in the season we are in. For Your people in Babylon, it was a hard season, but You never left them. I pray that we see You in every place and season in our lives. I pray that we cultivate the ground we are in and not despise or neglect it. I pray for peace in the hard times, strength in difficult times, and endurance to run the race You have put before us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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