Cypress After Thorns

Where thorns once grew, the Lord plants cypress, a living sign of His peace.

Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven on Earth by A. B. Simpson

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Isaiah paints a picture that reaches into sore places with a gentle hand. Instead of thornbush, cypress. Instead of brier, myrtle. What once scratched and drew blood now becomes shade and fragrance, a living sign that carries the Lord’s name and will not be erased, Isaiah 55:13. A. B. Simpson reminds us that God loves to turn our painful patches into gardens of peace. Not by polishing our self effort, but by bringing the life of Jesus to places that once hurt.

Some of us carry stings from harsh words, strained relationships, or losses that still echo. Simpson bids us bring those very places to God, not to hide them, but to let the Lord write His mercy across them. Reconciliation, gentleness, and peacemaking do not spring from gritted teeth. They flow from union with Jesus, who reconciles people to God and also draws people toward one another.

This is not God rescuing a few isolated souls while everyone else is left to fend for themselves. The promise of cypress and myrtle is a public sign, an everlasting name. In Christ, God is forming a people, a family who bear His character together. We belong to that people by grace, then we walk it out in the Spirit, so that the world can see what His peace looks like with skin on.

So we take Simpson’s invitation with gratitude. We thank God for His words through this brother, and we lean into the Lord’s heart. Where there were thorns, He grows cypress. Where there were briers, He plants myrtle. Where there was bitterness, He brings the fragrance of Jesus. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God, Matthew 5:9. Children resemble their Father.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I am the Spirit of the risen Jesus who dwells in you. I lead you from regret into renewal. I take what belongs to the Son and make it known in you, John 16:14. Your old way of living in Adam was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, Romans 6:6. You are alive to God in Jesus Christ, Romans 6:11. I bear witness that you are a child of God, Romans 8:16. I produce peace, patience, kindness, and self control in you, Galatians 5:22-23.

When you face the thorny memory and the difficult person, do not return to self rule. Present yourself to God as one brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness, Romans 6:13. I reconcile, I comfort, I mend what is torn, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. I teach your heart to answer evil with blessing, 1 Peter 3:9. I guide you to speak truth in love, Ephesians 4:15, and to keep in step with Me, Galatians 5:25.

The Father’s plan is not small. He gathers a people, Titus 2:14, a body joined and held together, Ephesians 4:16. As you yield to Me, Jesus is seen in your words and choices. Where thorns once ruled, I grow cypress. Where briers once spread, I plant myrtle. This will be to the Lord for a name, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off, Isaiah 55:13. Walk with Me. I supply what I command, Philippians 2:13. I comfort where you once braced yourself. I make you a peacemaker because the Prince of Peace lives within you.

Real-Life Analogy

Think of a jar of honey that once crystallized and turned rough. It looks ruined, yet a gentle, steady warmth restores its clarity and flow. You did not scrape the crystals away with force. You simply placed the jar in warm water and let the heat do the work. In the same way, the indwelling Holy Spirit warms hardened places in us. He restores flow where conversations have crystallized into sharp edges. He changes texture at the source.

A simple practice for today, without a checklist. If a tense conversation is on your calendar, pause before you enter the room and quietly yield. You might pray, Lord, I trust You to express Your peace and patience through me in this meeting, and to carry Your reconciling heart in my words. Then step in with a calm tone, listen without rehearsing a defense, and offer one specific kindness, for example, acknowledging the other person’s concern before sharing your perspective. This is not you white knuckling better manners. This is Jesus, by His Spirit, changing the texture of the moment.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, thank You that in Jesus You have already turned my thorns into places for Your planting. Thank You that I am a new creation in Your Son, and that Your Spirit lives in me to reconcile, to heal, and to guide my steps. I receive Your peace that is already mine in Christ. I affirm that Your grace teaches me to walk gently, to forgive freely, and to pursue unity without fear. Where I once protected old wounds, I now present myself to You, confident that You are writing Your name across these very pages of my life. Lord, I trust You to live Your reconciling life through me today, making me a living sign of Your faithful love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section

John 16:14; Romans 6:6; Romans 6:11; Romans 8:16; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 6:13; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; 1 Peter 3:9; Ephesians 4:15; Galatians 5:25; Titus 2:14; Ephesians 4:16; Isaiah 55:13; Philippians 2:13; Matthew 5:9