Like an Oak Tree

The heavy slabs of concrete in the sidewalk tilted at an angle.  They were displaced by years of steady growth of a tree, exerting force steadily, nearly invisibly.  Through icy winters and hot summers, through years of too much rain and years of drought, that oak tree grew.  It towers over the small house next to which it stands. It has withstood the assault of driving winds, the hammering beak of birds, and the boring of bugs. My  best guess is that it is about 60 years old and growing strong. It is a living thing that will outlive me! 

I want to be like that oak tree!  Isaiah, the prophet, teaches us that in the Spirit we can flourish.  He writes, the Lord will "provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."  (61:3, NIV)  That passage reminds me that becoming a beautiful, strong, God-honoring Christian is a process, not an event! Everything around us is fast.  We want quick solutions and instant answers.  We hate to wait for anything - from the inconsequential momentary delay at the check-out counter;  to the process of healing in our body. (At least, I do. How about you?)   However, becoming an 'oak of righteousness'  calls for patient, living in His grace, letting Him work in us and on us. 

Those who trust God will be known for the beauty they create, the steadiness their presence brings to the world.  His Spirit exerts a powerful force in us that, over time, replaces our sinful nature with the character of Jesus Christ.   As we worship Him, not just with words, but with our life,  He gives us a strength that is quite aptly illustrated by the tall oak tree that stands through storm after storm!  We must be willing to patiently wait on the Lord.  "I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13-14, NLT)

Some of the seeds we plant are like grass, growing green in a few days’ time.  Some are acorns growing over our lifetime into something beautiful that will be a legacy for our grandchildren.  Does your vision for life include the long-term growth of an oak tree? 

John, the youngest disciple of Jesus lived through the first decades of the growth of Christianity.  The last living disciple was serving the city of Ephesus in ministry as an old, old man. He lived through many trials and triumphs.  When he was nearly 90 years of age, the Roman authorities were determined to silence him and so they banished him to a tiny island prison called Patmos.  Was it an inglorious end to him?   Not at all. There he wrote the book that is the last one in our Bible, the Revelation.  In the opening lines we read, " I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet," (Revelation 1:9-10, NIV) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8, NIV)  The man was an oak, a steady strength, whose faith grew in the deep soil of God’s promises that reached from the birth of Creation to the Final Judgment!

Make it your desire to be an "oak of righteousness."   Pray that the Spirit of God will keep you rooted in Christ, growing steadily, unwavering in your commitment.  
Those who "Delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 
. . . are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and
they prosper in all they do." (Psalm 1:2-3, NLT)

Amen.

___________________

Beauty For Ashes

He gave me beauty for ashes

The oil of joy for mourning

The garment of praise

For the spirit of heaviness

That we might be trees of righteousness

The planting of the Lord

That He might be glorified

Robert Manzano

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