Devotion: Burnt But Still Standing

During a morning walk, I ventured off my usual route and onto a side trail. Before long, I approached two tall trees. Their bark was scorched from fire. Both trees were burnt on one side, giving evidence of the direction of the fire. From the charred exterior, a few scattered palm fronds hung like brown fringes on the otherwise barren tree. Palm fronds also clung to the second tree. They, too, had suffered through the burning; however, the tree trunk had taken most of the fire’s punishment. Two blackened trees. Burnt but still standing.

Burnt Like the Trees

In John 16:33, Jesus addresses our fears and gives us a promise that we can stand after difficult times. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

The word of God provides many lessons from nature. Here are three lessons we can learn from burnt trees. God is the hope in times of resilience, renewal, and transformation.

1. Resilience. In Genesis 37, 39-41, Joseph experienced scorching betrayals. His brothers sold him into slavery, and circumstances forced him to live in a strange land away from his loving father and family. Later, his employer sent him to prison for a crime he did not commit. When it seemed he would be released from prison, the chief butler waited two years before speaking on Joseph’s behalf. Throughout his ordeal, Joseph’s hope remained firm in God.

2. Renewal. The story of Job provides an example of renewal. As the tree lost leaves and bark in the fire, Job suffered significant loss—children, wealth, and health. His faith in God stayed strong. Ultimately, God restored his family and possessions in greater abundance than his loss (Job 42:12).

3. Transformation. The Holy Spirit transformed Peter from a simple fisherman into a bold and influential leader in the early Christian church.

I recently revisited the trail where the scorched trees are located. New leaves are growing as evidence of God’s restorative power in nature.

God Restores

Have you ever felt burnt? Disappointment, health or financial challenges, feeling overwhelmed, and experiencing loss can all lead us to feel burnt like the trees on the trail. A disaster happened, and it hurt like a fire raging in your chest. How long ago did it happen? Last week? Last year? Perhaps you’re still going through it, and the future seems bleak.

These testimonies of resilience, renewal, and transformation hold a common theme: the presence of God has the power to carry us from our burnt state into a stronger future. Just as Jesus declared, “And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me” (John 16:32), we can be assured that we are not alone.