Abundant Life

The fog had not yet lifted when I went to the river yesterday. I wanted to beat the heat and the crowds. It was beautiful. Almost no current, still, and muffled in the fog. I glided along the shore among kingfishers, turtles, Osprey, and herons. A few fishermen were out, but otherwise I had the lake to myself.

Many trees have been uprooted along the shore with the heavy rains this summer. I saw one dead stump poking out of the water, and miraculously, rising off the stump was a vibrant living branch. The stump was half rotted. How on earth had that beautiful living tree managed to erupt from such a damaged base? And it was not just a twig or two with a few drooping leaves; it was a little tree bursting and overflowing with new leaves, catching the first sparkles of sun glinting through the fog.

Nature is so replete with symbols of God's provision and salvation. Out of the most wretched, troubled, despicable, hell-bent past, He can restore abundant life. Out of death, life is reborn. Overflowing, magnificent, profuse life.

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They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. (Psalm 36:8 ESV)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord — and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9 NIV)

-save a dog- hollowcreekfarm.org
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