Praise Will Sprout

by Mel Tavares

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. Isaiah 61:11 ESV

I am an avid gardener. My desire to get outside and start working in my garden increases each time winter temperatures wane and the sun warms the earth. Joy floods my soul when I see daffodils dancing and tulips budding.

As much as my garden is robed in green and adorned with the jewels of spring, I am adorned with garments of salvation and righteousness and jewels in my headdress as the bride of Christ.

Perennial flowers and bulbs need no prompting or special care to cause them to bloom. Seeds sown will sprout year after year, as surely as the earth revolves around the sun. This reminds me of Isaiah 61:11. Just as garden flowers spring forth, righteousness and praise spring forth across the earth as Christians rejoice in the goodness of God and tell others of who He is.

Can you picture yourself clothed in salvation and robed in righteousness, a living epistle for all around you to read? Can you imagine hope sprouting in others’ hearts, as they read the chapters of your life and see that you are firmly grounded in Christ?

As we exalt God and tell of His marvelous works in our life, praise springs forth from our lips. We cannot help but become a display of His splendor. As we bloom where we are planted and use modern tools such as social media, nations witness miraculous growth and new life.

There are many variations in the garden of life, just as in natural gardens. These spiritual blooms include healing, provision, restoration, freedom, and redemption, to name a few.

We are living in a time when those around us are being crushed under the load of cares of this world. They are desperate to have someone plant seeds of hope, love, joy, and peace. As we introduce them to Jesus, and plant and water the seeds, new sprouts of righteousness and praise will spring forth across the nations.

Sounds of rejoicing will be heard, just as songbirds can be heard in our gardens. Hope will spring forth and soon they will be planting seeds of hope in others. In this manner, righteousness and praise will sprout up before all nations.

O Lord, I pray your righteousness and praise would spring forth in my soul today and in the souls of others across the world, that indeed it would sprout across the nations and others would come to know you.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Mel Tavares is an accomplished award winning author, speaker/teacher, and coach and counselor both in ministry and in her career. She has invested decades in equipping women from all walks of life to thrive in the midst of their circumstances.

Mel holds a Doctorate of Ministry, is a Board Certified Mental Health Coach, a Certified QPR Suicide Prevention Instructor, and member of the AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors).

In addition to writing for Arise Daily, she authoring books, is a contributing author to several books, writes for multiple ministries, including the Word of Life Global Youth Ministries. She teaches digitally and in person, conducts Facebook Live series, and is a frequent media guest. Mel is a wife, mom to seven, and grandma to ten. You can find her materials and learn more about her ministry at her website: drmeltavares.com

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