Hope In A Tree Stump

June 2024

This painting originally came as a prayer for America.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” The Lord had been speaking to me about the land more intently since the Fall of 2023. He told me He loves the land and reminded me of a time of prayer and fasting, where I had seen a tree growing out from the middle of America and He had me pray that the branches would reach all the way to the ends of both coasts. It was this tree that He reminded me of when I read this verse in Job 14 and He first showed me the painting:

Job 14:7-9

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.

This verse reminded me of Isaiah 11:1 and Revelation 22:16, where Jesus is represented as the fruit-bearing Branch that comes from the stump of Jesse and as the Root and Offspring of David. The water is also represented in Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

I felt pressed to finish this painting the day before we went to a conference in Atlanta. The focus of the conference was redemptive prayer for the state of Georgia as part of America. God added to my understanding of the painting and why I felt I needed to finish it before I left as Chuck Pierce, one of the speakers, was preaching. He spoke of how he saw God redistributing seeds according to what was being asked in prayer by God’s people in order to bring forth His perfect plan. He then went back in history to discuss the forced removal of Native Americans on the Trail of Tears, and Georgia’s part in it. He began contrasting this with God’s original “root” intent or plan for Georgia which was not the loss of liberty but total freedom. A redemptive prayer went out that the power of the enemy to usurp and thwart this original purpose of complete freedom would be overthrown. He later said that God “will never forget His covenant intent” for Georgia or the United States. God again reminded me of my painting and the ring He had shown me which represented His covenant.

I hope this painting blesses you as much as it did me to paint it. I pray God speaks more to you through it and that it encourages you to pray God’s original covenant intent for our nation.                            

RM