“When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.” (Luke 21:30 NIV)
Look for sprouting leaves and you will spot hope. Hope that summer is coming. Hope that better days are ahead. Hope for a better tomorrow. Sprouting leaves are signs of life that God gives us. Their message, “It’s going to be ok.” God is telling us visually, “I have a plan, it is good” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). Sprouting leaves are one of God’s emojis for us. They tell an entire story in one picture. A seed, planted in total darkness, watered with love, begins to bloom into new life. Christ overcame death, and gave us new life. Look for sprouting leaves and you will spot hope.
Look for sprouting leaves and you will spot hope.
Emojis are a new language that has developed with the onset of technology. An emoji is defined as a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc. Studies done in communication show that people want to know the story in the amount of time it takes to process a picture. Our world has become one of scrolling through timelines. If you want to grab someone’s attention, you only have a few seconds. Emojis do the trick. They convey laughter, sadness, anger, impatience and much more, all with a quick look.
God has placed emojis all around us. People’s faces are emojis. With one look we can tell if someone is happy or sad, angry or mad. Just like sprouting leaves indicate hope, falling leaves indicate a change of season. Animals are emojis, a tiger represents fierceness. An eagle represents strength. The rising sun indicates a new day, the setting sun the end of it. All of these are icons, made by God that convey a message. And all of them are messages of hope:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV).
Just like God is with the seed when it’s planted in complete darkness, He is with us in our worst moments. He knows the pains we have suffered, He’s waiting for us to give them to Him. Just like the seed grows out of the darkness into the light, God will do the same for us. He will take our worst circumstances and draw them gently into the light. He will love and nourish us uniquely as He changes us into who He created us to be. The seed was planted in darkness, then nurtured with love into a sprouting leaf that turns into a magnificent flower. God does the same for us. He takes the seeds of faith we offer Him and grows them into beautiful roses. When you see sprouting leaves, you’ve spotted hope.
Question of the Day:
What leaves of hope is God sprouting in your life?
Further Reading: Judges 1:1-2:9 NIV, Luke 21:29-22:13 NIV, Psalm 90:1-91:16 NIV, Proverbs 13:24-25 NIV
