“Bud & Flourish”

"Making it bud and flourish . . .

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out of my mouth:
it will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish which I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
~Isaiah 55:10-11

There are seasons of life when things seem dormant, even dead. When the winter chill sweeps through the soul and the prospect of a springtime bud is all but an illusion. Isaiah prophesied in such a time, and he spoke encouragement from the very heart of God. Isaiah wrote truth that germinates in the soil of a receptive soul, no matter how hostile the weather of circumstance or how bleak the immediate landscape.

To "bud" (Isa. 55:10) is to break forth in new life. To "flourish" (Isa. 55:10) is to grow healthily, bringing blessing and fullness to an empty world. Using the analogy of rain and snow coming down from heaven to water the earth, Isaiah promises that God's word will come down to us and invariably, extravagantly accomplish its purpose -so much that those who receive it and act on it, will "go out in joy and be led forth in peace." (v. 12a)

As we make the most of the last 11 months of this new year, How might we "bud and flourish"? Here are a few suggestions (some so practical, they may seem less than "spiritual").