Those Tall Trees...

One of the things that immediately caught my attention… and my heart, when we first cast our eyes on our new home was its location set back in a field of green grass and surrounded on two sides by an expanse of green shrubbery and tall trees.  Now that we are in the house, I find myself looking out our bedroom window the first thing every morning and being somewhat spell bound and in awe at the sight of those tall wonderful statues of nature that tower over our property.  

In the cool of the late afternoon shade, both my wife and I love to sit on the deck in the solitude of our backyard (thank God for the new QUIET A/C unit located near the deck) and simply stare at the trees and the naturally forested areas to the side of rear of our ¾ acre lot.  There is something very peaceful and medicinal about this daily experience!  At these special times I can understand EXACTLY why God had us move out here and purchase this particular home in this particular rural county of North Carolina.

When the first storms of winter blew in after our first few months in the house, I had a tinge of concern as I realized that one of those tall majestic trees could come down right on top of our house… right on top of our master bedroom!  At that point I had a decision to make.  I could either give into fear of what might happen, or place my trust in the Lord God of heaven and earth and have the peace in knowing that He not only could but WOULD protect us from any calamity caused by any kind of natural or man-made destruction.  Guess which one I chose?

I figured that God put us here for a purpose and it wasn’t to be living in fear of those tall gorgeous trees!  Being an avid gardener and long-time owner of a yard and garden care business, I also understand the tremendous root systems that those trees have!  The roots go deep into the depths of the earth and spread wide as they seek to nourish, support, and stabilize them.  I can recall a summer back at the first home my parent’s owned in our home town when my Dad had a large tree cut down in the backyard and then spent the rest of the summer digging out the roots that went out and about throughout the whole yard!

In my Christian walk I have also learned the vital importance of having our spiritual roots growing deeper and wider into the good soil of God and His Word and His love!  Psalms 1:1-3 tells us of the individual who delights in and reflects on the teachings of the Lord.  He is described as “a tree planted besides streams- a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither.  He succeeds in everything he does.” (God’s Word ©)  

Jeremiah 17:5-8 says that this individual will not be afraid when the heat comes, won’t be anxious in times of drought and will NOT stop producing fruit!  That tree (or person) will not come a’ tumbling down when the winds, rain, snow, sleet,  ice storms or lightning’s (of life) come upon it!

Ephesians 3:17 tells us of the importance of being “ROOTED and grounded in (God’s) love.” (KJV)  The God’s Word © translations talks of this love as being “the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation.”  That is the good soil from which we gain our strength, our stability, our nourishment and our joy to triumphantly face every day… no matter what may be waiting for us around the next corner!

So… when you see a beautiful tall and majestic tree, what is your first thought going to be… that it might fall and cause havoc to everything in its path, or that it is strongly rooted and grounded into the earth and will not tumble down in any storm or catastrophe?  That is the same decision that you have to make in your own life!  Will you tumble at the first touch of rain… or grow down deep and withstand any storm to the glory and praise of God?

… and speaking of healthy trees, I have to go out and fertilize our new Fig and Pear trees this afternoon!  I want their roots to grow deep and wide and be able to produce lots of fruit… Yum!  Have a great rest of the week, and as you do keep asking yourself… “How deep am I expecting my spiritual roots to go into the good soil of God’s Word and God’s love?”