The Oak Tree

This morning after I had completed my study I went in to our bedroom and woke up my wife and then, as per my daily custom, went into the living room, put on a CD with songs about the Lord’s healing promises, and proceeded to open up the blinds on all the windows.  When I retracted the horizontal blinds on the side patio sliding window, I gazed up into the tall branches and golden leaves of the cathedral like Oak tree that graces the side of our home.  As I stood there captivated by the beauty of the moment, I was impressed to sit in the big blue recliner next to the window.  This has become one of my favorite places to retreat to in the late afternoons just before I begin preparing dinner, but it felt a little odd sitting down there at the very beginning of the day.

Nevertheless, I obeyed the leading and sat quietly and continued to take in the majesty of the moment.  From my angle, the branches of the tree seem to reach right into heaven.  The golden leaves swayed against back drop of the deep blue sky and it felt like I could step outside and climb up the trunk of the tree right into the awaiting arms of my Savior!  It reminded me of something I had promised the Lord a couple of years ago. 

Throughout the journey that my wife and I have been on, I have continuously been drawn to the amazing grace and love of Jesus.  He has daily been my comforter, my counselor, my strength, and the one who has lovingly guided me through all the tough decisions that I have had to make along the way.  And most of all I thought, as I gazed up the tree into the heavens this morning, He has been the one into whose outstretched arms I have run into on many a dark and lonely night.   What came to mind in that chair this morning was my promise, that if I ever got to Pastor a church after all that we have been through, that I would teach and let our journey be the physical demonstration to the congregation of the need of falling in love with Jesus anew, each and every day!

Hebrews 8:12 in the Easy To Read Version of the Bible gives us a vivid reason why we should want to renew or confirm and/or confess our love for our Savor on a regular basis.  Here it tells of our heavenly Father’s plan for our redemption.  He said: “And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins!”  This promise was accomplished by Jesus on the cross.  He became sin in our stead and the anger of God toward our sin was completely exhausted on Jesus’ actions!  And now it is done and we can walk confidently before a God that loves us through thick and thin, through the bad and the good, and even when we slip up and do something wrong.

As I read that verse this morning I was reminded of a period when one of my kids was going through some really difficult times due to some wrong decisions.  The Lord had told me back then to just love him and to keep accepting him and his friends.  Well, throughout it all, the Lord kept him safe and sound and eventually the experience worked to totally turn our son’s life around to where his greatest desire now is to serve the Lord. 

The Lord said to me today that the love that I demonstrated was a small example of how much He loves each of us.  He is always there for us.  He is always forgiving toward us and loving us, and is always awaiting for us with outstretched arms, as I imagined this morning while I looked up the branches of that majestic Oak tree into the heavenlies.

So, think about that LOVE as you go through your day today. Let that LOVE fill you ‘til you can’t hold anymore and then spill it on to someone else!  Have a great day!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”