In the corner of our backyard, we have a tree that was not doing well. It was kind of ugly, was an odd shape, and was starting to lean over the fence. It was the hunchback of trees. But, once a year, it would still bloom beautiful green leaves and white flowers, so we let it be.

This past May, we had a terrible storm come through our area, and high winds caused a lot of damage. During this storm, our tree succumbed to the winds; snapped about three-fourths of the way down; and left a very uneven, jagged stump. We thought for sure this was the end for that tree and had plans to cut it down the rest of the way. But we didn’t get around to it, and then, do you know what happened? The tree came back to life! It started blooming green leaves and growing new branches, and now seems like it’s going to make a full recovery.

Things looked bleak for the line of Jesse. After all, it had been about 1,000 years of waiting for this family tree to produce its fruit, and people were starting to doubt if it was going to happen. Then a new root was born, and suddenly this once-dead stump made a full recovery and sprouted life.

Why? Because we have a God who keeps his promises, works things for our good, and always has a purpose. We are reminded of this when we see in the Bible how God kept his promises to Adam and Eve by sending the Savior to crush the serpent’s head, to Noah by saving his family and never flooding the world again, to Moses and the Israelites by giving them the Promised Land, and to David by ensuring that from his line the Messiah would be born. Each of these stories could have had dead ends, but God restored them and used them for his purpose. We can trust he will do the same for us.

Do you have a dead-tree story in your life? Maybe your family is fighting and you don’t think there can ever be a reconciliation. Maybe you’re at a dead-end job and have resigned yourself to being miserable for the rest of your life. Maybe you have a prayer that doesn’t seem like it’s ever going to get answered. Maybe you have an unhappy marriage.

Whatever it is that seems dead, like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, remember the stories of the Bible. Esau forgiving Jacob, Saul turning into Paul, Hannah receiving Samuel, Zechariah and Elizabeth being blessed with John. God used sin, hardships, ailments, sickness, emptiness, and even death for his good and for his purpose. In the Bible, we see the purpose of everyone mentioned: to point to Jesus for our salvation.

The same is true for you! God is using all the dead-tree moments of your life to point you to Jesus, to encourage you to cling to him, and to remind you he is carrying you until that dead tree sprouts new life. Whether that’s in this life or the next, live confidently knowing God will always work for your good and his purpose: to give you life.