“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” Isaiah 61:11 NIV
There is excitement for that which is new – a new car, a new house, a new job, or a new year. In these moments there is joy, excitement, and rejoicing that takes place for there is a new hope and expectation of something being better than what was.
Just as the soil and garden cause the seeds to sprout and grow, the Lord brings the dead to life so that we would spring forth and flourish. The fruit on a tree begins from something that is not visible to the eye, but in time it springs forth by breaking out and becoming easily visible to all.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and personal Saviour, our old life is gone and our new life begins. As believers in Christ, our joy, excitement, and rejoicing ought to be evident to all nations. May it not be conspicuously hiding in the corner of our lives, but instead, be like a light that shines in the darkness becoming evident before all nations.
Lock Your Wings 
Interesting that the same verse stood out for me: “The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.”
Isaiah 61:11 NLT
However, I had a slightly different thought. To think of a garden in the spring, it usually doesn’t look like much: a few bitty plants, some planted seeds hidden below the dirt, and often no blooms in sight in those early spring days. But the day WILL come when the garden will spring to life just like the day WILL come with our sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations. Planting a garden takes faith to believe that the seeds will bear fruit (or vegetables!) and suddenly-sometimes even after just a few days away-the growth is astounding. Two tiny little tomato plants explode with buds. Herbs take over the garden box. From the rows of dirt spring forth actual plants you can eat. Such is the promises of God too—sometimes hidden but still at work, sometimes seemingly insignificant and then growing into a bountiful harvest, and sometimes you grow things you never expected to do so well. The Lord’s righteousness will surprise us like the spring to summer transformation of a garden.
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Well said!
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