>A TENDER PLANT
>
>
>For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry
>ground.
>-- ISAIAH 53:2
>
>The coming of Jesus was like a tender plant in the midst of a parched
>ground. Parched ground offers little hope for survival; it is dry and too
>hardened to allow most plants to penetrate its crust. Yet Jesus was
>prophesied as a tender plant that would break through the hostile soil and
>overcome the dry and lifeless environment in order to bring life. When
>Jesus
>was born, His people were hardened to God's Word. There is no written
>record
>of God's having spoken to His people for four hundred years. The religious
>leaders of Jesus' day had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the
>words were lifeless to them. So hostile had they become to the truth that
>when God's Son came to them, they killed Him. Nevertheless, despite the
>enmity of the people, Jesus brought life to all who believed in Him. Jesus
>is capable of bringing life to any person, society, or culture no matter
>how
>hardened or hostile they have become to the gospel. Even the most calloused
>sinner will discover that Jesus knows how to penetrate the heart and bring
>life where there was only bitterness. The work of Jesus in a person's life
>may seem fragile at first, but like the mustard seed, it will eventually
>grow into something strong. As you pray for someone you care about, don't
>be
>discouraged if this person has not responded to Jesus. Just as a tender
>plant finds a way to grow in a hard and unreceptive environment, so the
>love
>of Jesus has the ability to emerge in a life that seems completely
>unresponsive.

Unknown author.
>

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. Romans 1:11-12

John Trevino