The Root

The root…

In Isaiah 11, it’s prophesied that a shoot will spring forth from the root of Jesse. But the Hebrew is more explicit. It literally says, “a shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse.” The word is specifically about a tree which has been cut down.

That’s a perfect description of Jesus. He came forth out of the fallen, cut off, and cast down Kingdom of David. When it looked most hopeless, that’s when He was born out of it. That’s the way of Jesus and His blessings. He is born from the broken, the cut-down, the fallen, the unlikely, and the hopeless. And that’s the way He’s born into our lives. It is when we are at our lowest points, when we have nothing to offer of our own, and everything seems seems impossible— that’s the root of Jesse, or rather, that’s the Stump of Jesse.

So don’t despair over the stumps in your life, or those things which have fallen, been cut down, or become hopeless. For out of such stumps are born the blessings, the presence, and the miracle, of Jesus!
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

Don’t despair over the stumps in your life, or that which has been cut off. Give thanks today to God in these as well and seek the life and miracle that God will bring forth.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed