Job 14-16
In the midst of their ramblings, Job and his friends hit upon some snippets of truth. They don’t understand God, but their observations of the natural world lead us to some interesting prophetic statements. One of those we encounter today.
For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again. And its shoots will not fail.
Though its roots grow old in the ground, and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant. (14:7-9)
I love this picture, because it’s a picture of the hope we have when our mission or our vision seems to die.
There are times when we are giving our very lives to a call and everything seems to be destroying what we’ve worked for. This call could be our families, our businesses, or our ministries. You may have been through something like this.
Yet there is always hope. The hope is the water – the breath of the Holy Spirit – which can come, bringing resurrection power. As long as there is even the tiniest smidgen of life, water can bring restoration.
In our front yard we have a tree which signifies just that. There is a dead stump out of which a full-grown tree is growing. This is more than just hope. It is a full-blown manifestation of hope produced by water restoring the roots and bringing back the life.
If you have some areas of your life which seem to be dead, don’t give up. God can breath His breath of the Holy Spirit onto those areas and cause resurrection to flourish. He can make all things new. And He can cause those new things to supersede the old.
Acts 9: 22-43
The miraculous transformation of Saul continues to astound the Christians in Jerusalem.
You can see Barnabas’s motive gift as he brings Saul to his friends. He is a people person and a peacemaker. His endorsement of Saul allows the new convert to freely move about Jerusalem and fellowship with his new brothers. Barnabas seems to have a pastor’s heart.
Next we come to Peter on a roll. He heals the paralyzed Aeneas in Lydda, bringing many to the Lord. Then on to Joppa where he raises Dorcas from the dead. Many are believing now.
“And it became known all over Joppa and many believed in the Lord.”(V. 42)
As we go trough this history, I want you to look for any passages which say that these types of miracles will go away in the future. You won’t find any such thing.
Today, there has been such a culture of disbelief for such a long time, that many think these are just things which happened long ago. (And some even go so far as to say they never happened).
God is raising up a different breed, however, today. That different breed of believer demonstrates total belief in their God. They look at His Word and they enter into a pursuit of understanding and faith. They desire to see God at work today just as He was in these early days of the church. This new breed of believer will see what they are looking for.
In fact, all around the world, where people truly believe their God and expect the supernatural, they see blind eyes opened, the dead raised, and miracles of all kinds.
What about you? What about me? Are we going to be true believers, or are we going to settle for a powerless gospel? II Timothy 3:5 speaks of those in the last days who will “hold to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.” I don’t want to be like that!
I have seen some miracles, and I want to see more. I want to see God at work, showing His reality and His presence. I know that you do also.
Let’s be some of those who are willing to go for all that God has.
