SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 27
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor. [Isaiah 27:11]
And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. [Isaiah 27:13]
The twigs are dry, the branch is dead, there is no fruit; Isaiah is describing how barren and lifeless God’s missionary people have become.
Though for a time His people will endure fire, it will be a pruning fire and out of it will come a renewed people with a renewed passion for God and His kingdom purpose.
Though the twig (the church?) becomes barren and lifeless and appears dead, and though it goes through a season of decline and hardship, God will salvage it from ruin, and restore it to its place and purpose.

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. [Matthew 24:31-33]
Jesus also speaks about the twig, only here He speaks about how the twig is once again showing signs of life – it is tender and has leaves; new life is coming!
Jesus is especially speaking of the end of time when He will finally gather His faithful followers from out of their exile in the world, and establish His new world for all who wanted it.

But the words of Isaiah and Jesus also serve as a reminder in the time between Jesus first and final coming.
His followers, the church, will go through cycles of health and disease, of dry twigs and tender twigs, of fruitlessness and fruitfulness.
In seasons of strength we need to be on guard for becoming barren and lifeless.
In seasons of weakness we need to trust that the Lord will bring about new seasons of life and fruit!
Sometimes in the life of a church, the branches are dry; other times the branches are tender.
We need to be discerning of the times, both in our own lives and in our churches.
Are we dry or tender, fruitful or fruitless?
Have we forgotten who we are and what we are called to be doing?
If so the Lord may send us into a season of fire, of purging and pruning the branches.
Are we on the verge of a new season, the are branches tender and leaves growing?
If so the Lord is restoring and revitalizing us for His kingdom purpose!

One day this see-saw will be over, and the Lord will finally gather all of His faithful followers and establish His new world once and for all.
Until then we need to be aware of the cycles of life and death, and beware when our own branches become barren and lifeless.

PRAYER:
Lord, if I were to look at my own branches, do I see the branches becoming dry or tender? Is there an increase in life, or is there stagnation?