New Life from What Seems to Be Dead Wood

I am always amazed at what nature does during spring.

I often see trees and bushes during the winter that I think should be cut down because they look really dead to me, but when spring rolls around, voila - new life appears on those branches.

The trees and bushes are still the same ones that were planted years ago, but there is a dramatic change in spring. Spindly sticks on dormant bushes are fed by water, sun and nourishment in the soil and come to life.

The ground that is totally brown during winter starts to green up in spring. Even some weeds are really pretty - clover, wildflowers, etc. There are times I am reluctant to mow my grass because I know I am going to mow over something beautiful (like bluebonnets in Texas!).

Gardens lighten the spirit and bring beauty to the world. When the drab, brown ground of winter is refreshed by the new green of spring, it seems that all things are possible.

We are somewhat like those dead branches. We need Someone to give us life. Without Jesus, we would stay in the dark throes of our winter forever. Reborn, renewed and refreshed by His Spirit, we can blossom and produce fruit.

With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 NASB). But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV). Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB). "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 NASB).