When people think of the story of Job, they immediately think of a man who went through some of the hardest trials. So much so that, many forget, prior to his trials, he was living a life of wealth, health, and full on prosperity unequalled by his contemporaries. However, most of the book of Job does indeed depict the harsh reality of what he went through after his children all died in a catastrophe, his possessions were ransacked by raiders, and his property destroyed by natural disasters. To make matters worse, Job himself became severely ill with painful sores from head to toe.

Job was so devastated by his suffering, that he felt, even a tree had more hope than him. He states, “At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant” (Job 14:7-9). As sad as it sounds to envy a plant more than one’s own life, Job was touching on a deep truth concerning his situation. If a tree that has been cut down can sprout again, surely there is hope for him. With that he declares, “All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come” (Job 14:14).

Like Job’s description of his life, that resembles a cut down tree, there may be some of us that feel like our progress has been cut down. Know that new life can and will sprout again, and really, when we look at the life cycle of a seed, we will discover that falling is an essential part of the process. In John 12:24, Jesus states, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

Falling is the first step. A tree cannot produce another tree until the seed, which is located inside the fruit, falls to the ground. Take an apple for example, only when it falls off the tree can the seed, located inside, find the ground it needs to grow. Falling is devastating and sudden. It takes much more time for a tree to grow and produce a fruit than it does for that fruit to suddenly fall. Look at the devastating losses of Job which all occurred within days of each other.

Maybe this year has brought you more losses in an unprecedented amount of time than ever before. Things can happen in one disaster, one accident, or one single diagnosis, but know that God is establishing you for a renewed life of flourishing.

Hiding is the hardest step. It’s not enough for the apple to simply fall from the tree, the seed inside must also go through the forced process of being buried and hidden underground. This pandemic year has proved to be one of hunkering down. What started as a normal year has now become the toughest one in decades. And so it goes with being planted, one must first go down before coming back up.

Romans 6:4 tells us that, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” The purpose of being planted is not to punish you for your past, but to prepare you for the future. God is hiding you beneath the surface so you can establish a root system that will cause you to flourish. God is not burying you like a funeral; you are being planted for something new.

Watering is the last step. After having fallen and having been forced underground, it may seem like all hope is gone, but the breakthrough is closer than you think. Job said that simply “at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoot” (Job 14:9). As difficult as it may be, you will appreciate the time that you are underground because when the water comes you will begin to grow.

The Psalmist describes the tension between sowing and reaping as one of weeping and singing. He states, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them” (Psalm 126:5-6). The tool for sowing is weeping, but the tool for reaping is worship. Start to water your seed with praise and worship, for the best is yet to come.