December 7: I Dare You To Stump Someone

December 7:

Isaiah 11:1-10  A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--  and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.  Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. . . In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

The phrase, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse,” is an interesting and thought-provoking one.  Believe it or not, I read up on stumps after reading this verse.  

After a tree has been cut and felled, it is not necessarily dead.  The roots are still intact.  It’s just that the “productive,” flowering part has been eradicated.  For that reason, stumps are often able to regenerate into trees as new trees as shoots began to re-spout at multiple points around the base of the stump.  The original tree provides the support, nutrients, and basis for the new tree(s).

To a certain extent, I often feel like a stump.  My dual occupations of teacher and mother lead me to this conclusion.  In these positions, I often function as “home base,” providing support, guidance, and encouragement in order for the “shoots” (students/kids) to grow and develop in productive and healthy ways. While I feel privileged to do so and LOVE to see when kids (mine or someone else’s) thrive and hit their “sweet spots”, I will admit that I often feel as though I am the understudy to my own life, sacrificing my own interests and dreams so that others can achieve theirs.  This is the double-edged sword of being a stump.

Even so, the shoot under discussion in this passage from Isaiah is the coming Savior of the world.  According to the prophecy of the Scriptures, this “shoot” would be enveloped by the Holy Spirit as He began His interim on the earth.  The Spirit would provide wisdom, understanding, and counsel so that Christ, fully God and fully human, would completely understand the human experience. He would have an empathetic understanding, which would allow Him to guide and counsel the people who crossed His path with the exact words appropriate for their situations and experiences.  

The Spirit would provide power as Christ needed – whether He was performing miracles or preparing to sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world. 

The Spirit would provide knowledge so that Christ could answer any question and win every verbal spar with Pharisees and other naysayers.    

Best of all, the Spirit was ready and accessible to Christ at all times because Christ understood the importance of the root, or stump. Not only did He fear the Lord; he delighted in the fear of the Lord. He willfully and purposefully submitted Himself to a complete and joyful relationship with God, from Whom He received everything – strength, wisdom, and joy.

Although fully God, Christ’s example underscores the importance of an intimate relationship with God.  Technically, as God, Christ could have gone His own way and done His own thing because, well, HE IS GOD.  As usual, His love for us is overwhelming.  He did what needed to be done so that we could see, know, and understand the joy – a life free of anxiety, indecision, and frustration – by submitting to Him.

On a personal note, I feel more convicted and encouraged about being a stump. On the one hand, I feel convicted to make sure that I maintain an intimate relationship with Christ.  Part of a stump’s responsibility is to help support and guide “shoots.”  It’s imperative that I keep my heart and mind attuned to God to make sure that what I say and do is in accordance with His Will and Plan.  In addition, I am encouraged.  What I do serves a purpose even if it isn’t glamorous and even if it means I am behind the curtain, feeding lines.  God knows the desires of my heart. He is faithful and will honor those desires if they are a part of His plan and bring glory to Him.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; no one can fathom what God has done from the beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What a blessing to know that the plans and purposes of this “shoot” of Jesse were carefully created long before He took His first breath in Bethlehem.  Nothing was left to chance or whim.  This gives us confidence as we await the return of our Savior.  

Likewise, as “shoots” of our Savior, we are wise to learn from His example.  If we maintain a strong and healthy connection to the root of our faith, we have nothing and no one to fear.  Our lives will always have purpose and fulfillment.

“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4)

Challenge: Start a piggy bank for a specific cause. Keep your spare change in a piggy bank and when it is full, donate it to a cause or charity of your choice. Throughout the day it is common to accrue spare change that usually ends up in the bottom of your pockets or bag. At the end of every day, gather your spare change and store it in a piggy bank or jar. A few coins here and there don’t seem to be much, but over time, it can really add up. When your piggy bank is full, take the money and donate it to a good cause or charity organization.