New Life of Spring

Once again, God brought my attention to Isaiah 61 (see Renewing the World post for previous thoughts)  through a completely different and unexpected way yesterday. This time, God opened my eyes to the richness of verse 11.

Isaiah 61:11 ~ For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

What an awesome truth to meditate on! I have been absolutely LOVING watching life spring up in my flower gardens as well as my vegetable garden. With each green and vibrant leaf that unfurls itself, I am reminded of God’s incredible design in nature. No matter how dead plants may seem during the dreariness of the winter, life is renewed and springs forth once again after a season as Spring awakens a new life cycle. Plant life can resemble our spiritual lives many times. Just when our spiritual life may seem its bleakest, God’s work, many times unnoticed by us, awakens our heart and brings new life and growth of "Spring" (in a spiritual sense).

As I anticipate our trip to Bulgaria in search of the ministry that God has planned for our family, I am frequently thinking about the dark and dreary world of lost souls we live in. Bulgaria is a hurting country left with hearts that are bitter and untrusting from the marks of Communism that it was just released from in 1989. According to the 2010 Operation World data, only 1.9% of the population is Evangelical Christian. However, despite the darkness, God is miraculously working in the hearts of the Bulgarian people, and new growth is being seen all over the country. Just like the earth brings forth its sprouts, God is causing righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations, including Bulgaria. After a long and hard winter, Spring has come, and souls are being saved! God is at work in the hearts of His chosen people, and I am blessed to witness this new life and be a part of it!