There is hope for a tree.
That’s how Job put it.

“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.” (Job 14:7–9)

I’ve always loved that verse. Why?
Because every time I read it, I always thought and wondered that if indeed there’s hope for a tree – something voiceless, rooted, then how much more for a child of God? For me?

A tree can’t pray or praise. It can’t ask for mercy or cry out for help. Yet at the scent of water, it revives (Job 14:7–9). So if God gives that kind of hope to something silent and stationary, imagine what He’ll do for you – His beloved, who can call on His name and be heard.

And I’ve loved it because every time I followed that train of thought I was excited, I’d even let out a squeal. Because I am a child of God and I know it in my bones. I am a sheep that knows my shepherds voice.

Job wrote those words in the thick of despair. Everything he knew and loved had been stripped away. His wealth, his children, even his health. His life looked like a stump, something that once had promise but was now lifeless. And yet, somehow, Job dared to believe in the possibility of revival at the scent of water.

That’s the kind of faith that still whispers, “Maybe…”
Maybe I can bloom again.
Maybe God isn’t finished yet.
Maybe what looks dead is just waiting for a touch of living water.

The Scent of Water

The verse doesn’t say the flood of water, it says the scent.
Even a hint of moisture, even a trace of grace, can awaken life where death once reigned.

Sometimes revival doesn’t begin with a downpour; it begins with a drizzle.
A verse that stirs your heart.
A worship song that breaks through your numbness.
A moment of conviction that brings you to tears again after months of dryness.
That’s the scent of water and if you catch it, respond.

Because where the Spirit moves, life follows and it flows.

When You Have Been Cut Down

Maybe you’ve been in a season of loss. You tried, prayed, believed and yet the branch broke. You’ve buried dreams. You’ve lost people. You’ve failed in ways that left your heart broken and afraid to hope again. And now you look at your life and think, “This is not what I imagined.”

But beloved, even if your branches are dead and gone, your roots can still find water.
The ground may look dry, but God’s presence still flows beneath the surface.
Isaiah 58:11 says, “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought… you shall be like a watered garden.”

I’ve learned that God often allows the “cutting down” so that what grows next won’t just be taller, but truer –  rooted deeper, stronger, and more surrendered. Because sometimes the old form can’t hold the new fruit. 

Stories of Scent

Think of Joseph who was cut down by betrayal, forgotten in prison, but still faithful. Then came the scent of water – a dream Pharaoh couldn’t interpret, and suddenly Joseph’s roots broke through the soil again.
Or Naomi who was bitter, broken, and empty in Moab. But at the scent of barley harvest in Bethlehem, her story sprouted again through Ruth.
Or Peter who was ashamed after denying Jesus, but at the scent of breakfast by the sea, he heard, “Feed My sheep.”
Revival doesn’t always start with a roar; sometimes, it begins with a scent. A faint trace of grace in the air, a stirring in your spirit that whispers, “Something new is growing.” So like a bloodhound, be alert for that scent. Stay close to the One who breathes it out, the One who leans in and whispers, “My delight, can you smell it?”

Can You Smell It?

Maybe that’s where you are – the scent of something new. Not full restoration yet, but a stirring. A verse that hits differently. A hunger returning. A small sign that God is not done. A seemingly random feeling that you “miss God”. Don’t ignore it. Don’t assume the tree is dead. 

Because resurrection power often starts quietly. The tomb trembled before the stone rolled away. The seed cracked before the sprout appeared. The water flowed underground before it broke the surface.

So, What Do You Do?

When you sense the scent of water:

• Dig deep – go back to the Word. Let the roots of truth drink again.
• Stay planted – don’t uproot yourself in frustration. Growth takes hidden time. Time hidden in fellowship and friendship with the Holy Spirit. Time spent learning your Shepherd’s voice until it becomes the sweetest sound you know. Time falling in love with your Lord so deeply that obedience becomes a natural response, not a burden.

Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
Love is what roots you. Obedience is what helps you grow. And the hidden seasons—the ones that feel slow and unseen—are the very soil where both take root.

• Expose yourself to the rain – worship, pray, gather with believers. The water flows where the soil is open, if there are any hindrances, the water will become stagnant and might even start to smell and become a breeding place for mosquitoes.
• Expect the sprout – even when you can’t see it yet. Don’t doubt God when it comes to your becoming. He desires it more than you do.

Because if a tree can sprout again, you can too.

The God Who Revives

Our God specializes in resurrections. The dry bones of Ezekiel’s vision lived again. Lazarus heard His name and walked out of the tomb. And Jesus Himself who was cut down, buried, sealed rose on the third day.
So yes, there is hope for a tree.
And there is hope for you.

You are not too far gone.
You are not too dry.
You are not too late.
At the scent of water,  just the scent, everything can live again.Remember. Return. Rekindle.
Because even when it looks dead, Heaven still whispers:
“There is hope for a tree.”