Tender things are ripe for God’s intervention
Hold them up, don’t hold them tight.
Deb Peacock
Many are in tender times right now. Many are concerned about others who while saying YES to Jesus they are new and shaky, they seem vulnerable in these turbulent times. You might have spaces that you are responsible for that seem so fragile and vulnerable to not working out. Maybe there are things that you can see are meant to develop into the fulfilment of wonderful promises from God but they are in tiny form and you are aware of how much has to happen for the promise to be realised. It feels shaky and unstable and you are seeking stability and so want to hold tight and make it steady.
God was pointing out to me the tender things and after pointing them out he said, “will you trust me?” The question caused me to face my reality: I was holding on tight. Again he asked, “will you trust me this year?” He then pointed out the phrase “tender young shoot” which refers to Jesus coming to earth out of the stump of Jesse. (Isaiah 53:2)
Jesus, the saviour of the world came as a babe, dependent on others, weak even in this state. But in Isaiah it says “The spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and of power, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
Isaiah 11:1-3a
Imagine holding on tight to a tender little seedling, or crowding around it to care for it? It won’t receive the light it needs and the air or space it needs to grow as it is meant to. It needs provision that we can only allow to happen. We can’t provide what it needs. The air, the space, the sun comes from the Lord, from his creation. We can either step back and allow this to be present or we can crowd and forbid what it needs.
We can focus on how easily hurt tender people can be but a tender heart is one that is open to the Lord, ready to receive from him. Tender things held up to the Lord will receive his protection while receiving his love and empowerment.
What tender thing, tender person, tender dream are you crowding out right now? Will you let go and trust God this year?
Blessings