A number of weeks ago I pruned a Rose Tree that I keep in my house for the winter. My grandson asked, “what I was going to do with that dead tree over there in the corner”. To his credit, it did look quite pathetic; even I questioned if it could be revived.

To my credit, I never gave up on it and today it showcased the rose pictured along with two other buds ready to flower any day now. What a message of hope this imparted to me.

Whatever life throws at you, there is always hope if you stop digging the hopeless hole. Hope guards against anxiety and despair; hope opens our eyes and heart to possibilities.

Sometimes hope is found in unexpected places. Adversity is one of them. My rose tree aspired to produce blooms year round, but it needed to be cultivated and requires care to rejuvenate itself to bring about that transformation and healing.

That is what God does with the human soul

He prunes and reshapes our life to enable new growth and as my grandson noticed with the rose tree, it isn’t a pretty sight.  Our reaction to how we handle that pruning process will determine the outcome. Will our hope rise or take no action? 

I staked claim to hope without any evidence that those barren, thorny branches would eventually reveal a thing of beauty. The new growth was a slow process but overtime the tree began to flourish. The dead tree over in the corner was starting to show potential.

As a Christian, I have come to appreciate the times when God takes pruning shears to my life; it conveys He is preparing me for new growth. The intervention can be painful, but necessary if I am to abound, thrive and prosper spiritually. May your hope rise as you wait for God to reveal new growth in your life.

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John 15:1-2

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”