God's Economy

Part of the beauty of living in this agricultural area is the opportunity to observe truths about God in nature. The other day an orchard caught my eye as I was driving to an appointment. It just seemed to illustrate to me how God redeems the future!

It seemed to say, even in times of drought or distress, nothing is wasted in God’s economy!

The orchard pictured above obviously has seen better days. The farmer reduced his once thriving, fruit-producing trees to stumps. You can see the rows of white-washed stumps in the background.

When I had a closer look at these old stumps I saw new growth where each branch had been. The farmer carefully grafted small branches of a new tree (each with three or four buds) where the old branches were removed. The old, seasoned stump became the solid base for a new tree.

As the years pass, the new tree continues to grow out of the old stump; its long, healthy branches bringing life anew to this orchard.

It will not be long before the new tree has grown as thick and strong as the old tree had once been, and bears fruit.

As I stood in that field, I filled up with hope ~
God does redeem the future.

Some of us are like those old trees. Depressed economic times take the life out of us. Choices we make allow dead wood to grow. Bitterness chokes off our ability to bear fruit. But like this old orchard ~

Nothing is wasted in God's economy!

God creates a way for the trials and circumstances to be a place for transformation. We grow afresh to glorify Him and draw people into His Kingdom,even by the very things we thought might well destroy us.