A TENDER PLANT
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
Isaiah 53:2
The coming of Jesus was like a tender plant in the midst of a parched ground. Parched ground offers little hope for survival; it is dry and too hardened to allow most plants to penetrate its crust. Yet Jesus was prophesied as a tender plant that would break through the hostile soil. He would overcome the dry and lifeless environment in order to bring life.
When Jesus was born, His people were hardened to God’s Word. There is no written record of God’s having spoken to His people for four hundred years. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the words were lifeless to them. They become so hostile to the truth, that when God’s Son came to them, they killed Him. Nevertheless, Jesus brought life to all who believed in Him.
Jesus is capable of bringing life to any person, no matter how hardened they have become to the gospel. Indeed, even the most calloused sinner will discover that Jesus knows how to penetrate the heart and bring life where there was only bitterness. The work of Jesus in a person’s life may seem fragile at first, but like the mustard seed, it will eventually grow into something strong.
As you pray today, thank God for His precious Son! Perhaps you are praying for the someone in your life – don’t be discouraged if that person has not yet responded to Jesus. Instead, ask God to treat that person as a tender plant, in need of Jesus and His ability to break through their hardened hearts. Also take a moment to remind yourself that you, too, are a tender plant, in need of God’s grace and mercy. Amen.
Source:
“Experiencing God Day-By-Day; The Devotional and Journal”, by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby ©1997. Entry December 4.