“Kelly, this is for you,” my friend said as she extended me a gift.
In hand, I saw the pink flowers rising from a decorated tinfoil green pot. They were cute.
Yet, there was one problem, when I got home, they dried up and died out. I tried watering them; that didn’t work. I tried moving them; the plant was more than dead. So, I did what anyone would do. . . I brought them outside. Not hoping for much.
To my shock and awe, days later, something happened. . . The dried-up dead parts now sprang up again — new life. I was astounded. Seeds were underground that I could not see. There were little buds that I never noticed. This plant found incredible new growth after an apparent death.
This was the plant of new life! And the thought occurred to me that, as believers, we always have new life available to us, through Christ. Always and forevermore.
Therefore, if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17 AMPC)
New life is being a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old things go, as we repent, and new things are always coming for us.
“We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.” (Ro. 6:4 AMPC)
We habitually are walking and behaving, by His grace and empowerment, in the newness of life. This is available to all of us, even right now.
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (Jo. 12:24 NIV)
Even when it feels like we are dying, like Jesus Christ’s death, seed can still be multiplying. After Jesus rose from the dead, belief in Him spread like wildfire.
Dealing with loss and with death is extremely difficult. Absolutely, there is a time to grieve. Yet, we are wise to remember that feelings don’t determine what God is doing. We may not see life, but God still may be sprouting some wildly impactful roots underground. We may not see the buds of growth, yet they may still be healthily growing . . .
In times of hardship, don’t give up faith. We are called “believers”, after all.
And, don’t get down on yourself for being down. Remember, God can turn anything around. Maybe what looks like the death of a part of you, or a season, or a dream — is actually the new life of you.
Prayer: Father, sometimes we can’t make sense of seasons. We don’t know why things work out as they do. As we go through changes of friendships, houses, jobs and places it feels unsettling. Questions come up. But Father? We ask You now to release the comfort of the Holy Spirit for all of us who may be experiencing change, uprooting, or questions. I ask that You would, right now, give us faith. Give us faith for the new life that is found in You, our alive and working Lord and Savior, who saves, Jesus Christ. Let us walk, knowing that You are working something good. Let us believe that even in deadness, seeds are still being planted by your grace. Give us the hope not to look at what we see, but to trust You in the unseen. Give us Your eyes to see and Your heart to understand. Let us be faithful in the gaps of life that we cannot understand. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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