Isaiah 11 Devotional

Life from a Cut Stump

“Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.”Isaiah 11:1 (BSB)

Chapter 10 ended with a forest cut down. Chapter 11 begins with something growing from a stump. From the cut-off family line of Jesse, a shoot will sprout and bear fruit (11:1). God's Spirit will settle on him with wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and the fear of the LORD (11:2). He will judge the poor and lowly with true justice, not by appearances or hearsay (11:3-4).

Wolves live with lambs, a small child leads them, and an infant plays safely near a snake's den, because the earth is filled with the knowledge of the LORD (11:6-9). The nations seek him, and God gathers his scattered people from the far corners of the earth (11:10-12). Paul quotes this chapter to show that the Gentiles now hope in Christ, the Root of Jesse (Romans 15:12). God's kingdom often begins where things look finished. When something in your life looks cut down to the ground, remember that this is where the God of Isaiah 11 started over.

To think about: What in your life looks like a cut stump right now, and how does the shoot from Jesse give you hope about it?