The Season of the Cypress and the Myrtle
08/29/26
Recently, the Lord has been reminding me of a word I released about four years ago from Isaiah 55:13, specifically concerning the myrtle and what it represented—the establishment of God's promises. And now, I sense the Lord stirring that word again and wanting to release more good news and encouragement in this passage for those of you who have endured difficult seasons.
I believe there are many who have endured one difficult season after another—trials, attacks, disappointment, loss, betrayal, and circumstances that seemed to continually choke out hope. But I am here to give you a dose of hope as I believe the Lord is saying that your season is changing. What has been growing in adversity is giving way to what He is establishing in this season. The Lord is speaking of “Instead of.”
Isaiah 55:13 gives us a beautiful picture of divine transformation: “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, and instead of the brier the myrtle will come up, and it will be a memorial to the Lord, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”
God is declaring that what once marked the landscape of the lives of His people with thorn bushes and nettle, symbolizing barrenness, pain, devastation, and lifelessness would not remain forever. He says, “Instead of.”
Instead of trauma, healing. Instead of devastation, restoration. Instead of lack, overflow. Instead of pain, peace. Instead of mourning, joy. Instead of betrayal, faithfulness. Instead of abandonment, belonging. Instead of confusion, clarity. Instead of rejection, acceptance. Instead of chaos, order. Instead of despair, hope. Instead of discouragement, encouragement. Instead of shame, honor. Instead of brokenness, wholeness. Instead of stagnation, acceleration. Instead of delay, fulfillment. Instead of waiting, manifestation. Instead of desolation, habitation. Instead of scarcity, provision. Instead of defeat, victory. Instead of captivity, freedom. Instead of disappointments, Divine appointments. Instead of setbacks, comebacks. Instead of ruin, rebuilding. Instead of ashes, beauty. Instead of heaviness, praise. Instead of destruction, a reconstruction. Instead of loss, a reclamation.
An “instead of” turnaround that becomes a memorial to the Lord and an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.
I pray you are encouraged today knowing there is an “instead of” coming for you. I believe your “Instead of” season is imminent and it is a season of the cypress and myrtle.
Shalom,
Tammy Lynn
