For When Your Efforts Feel Futile
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Photo by daniel Oberg via unsplash
My favorite house plant is a rubber plant I got at a free market 12 years ago.
Standing about three feet tall, it has long, graceful branches adorned with big, dark green, oval leaves.
Well, it used to, anyway.
Sadly, it’s had a hard season and isn’t as leafy as it once was, and recently, I glanced at it from my writing spot in the kitchen and noticed one branch in particular had no leaves left on it at all.
I should probably cut off that branch, I thought. A resurrection of the threadbare stick seemed unlikely, and I figured the plant would benefit from a trim.
But thankfully, I didn’t hack it off right then and there because a few days later, I was sitting on the couch, and from that position, with my face just inches from the plant, I noticed several teeny, tiny buds forming along the middle of the branch.
It was such a pleasant surprise! All the while I’d been thinking that branch was dead, but in reality, life was flowing beneath the surface.
GOD IS AT WORK
Sometimes, the goals and dreams God has given us can feel the way my plant looked: scraggly, unfruitful—even dead. We might wonder if it’s time to let them go and move on to something else. We might wonder if we heard God wrong.
But my plant reminded me of this truth: God is an expert at bringing life to dry places, and even when it looks like nothing is happening, God is at work.
Consider these beautiful words from the prophet Isaiah:
“The desert will rejoice, and flowers will bloom in the wastelands. The desert will sing and shout for joy; it will be as beautiful as the Lebanon Mountains and as fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the Lord's splendor, see his greatness and power. Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness. Tell everyone who is discouraged, ‘Be strong and don't be afraid! God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies’” (35:1-4 GNT).
DON’T GIVE UP
Are there dreams, goals, or promises you feel God has spoken to your heart, yet despite your best efforts, they seem empty and fruitless?
If so, I want to encourage you: Don’t be afraid, and don’t give up! Even when things seem desolate and barren, God is at work behind the scenes.
Together, let’s trust the heart of our good Father. If He has called you to something and you faithfully follow Him, fruit will come in His time. Like the buds on my plant, it may come when you least expect it, but it will come!
As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me here or through the comment section below.
In purpose and faith,
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