2012 - Bringing Forth Your Tree of Life

Pastor Rick and I are in Uganda dedicating a new building for a church and school in the remote village of Nabusozi; in the heart of a valley which birthed the evil empire we now call the HIV virus. We’re here in a valley where an occasional motor bike is the only motorized movement on pathways carved through the African farm and scrub land. It’s the end of the road, so to speak, for those living by the shore of Lake Kijanibalola; the end of the road for many with HIV, the end of the road for many who have little or no access to education or knowledge of Jesus or a hope for a way out of poverty. It’s a place where people usually gather under a tree rather than under a roof.

It’s from this venue that I bring you words of grace and hope. There are times in life when it seems we are at the end of our road; times when it seems the convergence of bad stuff happening makes even the spirit-filled believer grasp for hope. We know God’s grace, His favor theoretically; yet sometimes we do not walk in the experience at any significant measure. If there is hope for this remote village with few spirit-filled believers, there is hope for you in 2012. The Holy Spirit prophetically revealed aspects of the Father’s heart to us on New Year’s Day. He said that 2012 will be a ‘pivotal year’, a year upon which many crucial crossroads will be encountered. He also said that many people in 2011 had ‘hope deferred making their heart sick’ (Prov. 113:12), but that 2012 would bring forth the ‘tree of life’, a refreshing accompanying the fulfillment of some desire in their life. I am now ministering to a remote people whose hope was deferred and were truly heart sick only 2 years ago, but there has come refreshing brought by the Holy Spirit, through people led by the Holy Spirit, with spiritual and practical provision authored by the Holy Spirit.

Be encouraged that whatever challenges you may face in this pivotal year, there will be opportunity to gather under the tree of life where a God-birthed desire is fulfilled, healing the heart and bringing refreshing. Be encouraged even as the people at the end of this road are encouraged! Just when you think you’re at the end your road, the tree of life appears. Hallelujah!