If Men Try To Chop You Down Trust God To Raise You Up

What can be learned from looking at an old stump of a tree? When this man saw this stump a whole significance began to dawn!

Come read with me and look with me at these words in Isaiah Chapter 11, where God gives His man a vision of hope. He sees a shoot emerging from a cut down tree. Can anything meaningful and relevant for us today be gleaned from such a trivial sight? This shoot or branch appeared from an old tree root – a tree which had been chopped down.

Now, there is something to hold onto – when people try to chop you down – and cut you down to size. Know from the Word of God that you can rise again – that you can smile again – that life is never all over – not if you are in Christ Jesus.

The anointed Jesus will be wise – understanding – able to give counsel and advice – He will be filled with knowledge – and the fear of the Lord – not wanting to fail His Father.

He will judge righteously and justly and fairly. Creation will be reconciled with itself – as God turns the lion into a vegetarian – and the infant will be completely safe even when playing near a snake. In verses 11 and 12, Israel is brought back to her land a second time – by the arm of the Lord. We have seen this happen – a degree of national recovery. From the branch there flies a flag – and the exiles will gather.

All this flows from what to begin with looked nothing – so totally insignificant – humanly speaking it could have been said that Israel was finished – banished to Babylon. Yes this is highly controversial – particularly in the eyes of veiled blind people, who have no idea of what is in the Word of God.

Though men try to chop Israel down – even in the nicest possible surroundings of the United Nations – they have that tendency to shoot up – to re-appear – and you cannot get rid of this people – no matter how hard you try.

Who does this? The One Who sent the Branch – Jesus Christ. If enemies chop you down – HE will raise you up – and not just in your own natural strength.

God reveals truths to people who can handle revelation – men like Isaiah or Jeremiah or Moses – or Joseph – or someone like Mary and Anna – and Peter and John – very ordinary people – but people who are able to handle what God has to say and what God has to reveal.

God continues to reveal sacred secrets through the Holy Spirit – showing visions and pictures – to people who can be trusted with such treasures. From an old tree stump Isaiah sees the coming of Jesus Christ – the Messiah – the Anointed One.

Is this another reason why many people like to keep Jesus in the manger – where Jesus is unanointed and powerless? You have to go to the river for that – and all kinds of things happen at the river which people do not like.

What a significant word. May this richly bless you as you read what Isaiah actually prophesies.

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled “Word from Scotland” on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper colum

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