podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/21fc1afe/of-trees-and-truth-knit-together-luke-31
When I closed my eyes last night, my last thoughts and prayers were for those in desperate situations needing a touch from God. As I awakened, I thought ‘perhaps I should write a message of hope and a good God’… hmmm. And then I learned of the airplane tragedy in Washington, DC last night which took the lives of everyone aboard both aircraft. Oh, God… have mercy!
It still all comes back to this – the only true hope comes from Almighty God, and we learn about him, his love for us and his character, how to know and trust him, from his Word.
By way of illustration, on a FaceTime prayer call for a mother desperate for the healing of her daughter,1 I pulled from what I had read and prayed that morning from Psalm 28.2
“To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me . . .
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help.”
Then David’s realization that God had indeed heard his impassioned prayer for mercy -“Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD’s my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
So yes, I will write a message of hope and an Almighty God who can do what no other can do, looking again to Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, in which Jesus points out a tree. (Hang with me here a moment.) No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.3
To the disciples, his newly chosen inner circle and the greater multitude who listened, Jesus painted a picture they all understood:
Apricot trees only produce apricots, and
if the trunk and limbs are blighted or unhealthy,
so too the apricots.
People ARE who they ARE on the inside, in their hearts; who they are on the inside will be known by what is evident in their lives – their love for others, their priorities and integrity, words and actions. Yes, their fruit!
When I explained this concept to my young friend, Malik said, “Okay, that makes sense, but how can I change what is on the inside, starting right now?”
Well, I’ll be doggone if that doesn’t bring to mind another psalm! The psalmist so beautifully wrote, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”4
When we pick up our Bibles and feed on the truths of God, like trees whose roots are well watered, we bear good fruit and prosper.
Again I think of the various situations of heartache - the message of hope is only to be found in the person of God. For the mother of the Russian figure skater aboard the airplane last night, whose heart is splitting in two over the loss of her child all the way across the world, God alone can be her refuge, her Rock. And in any situation, for we who long to comfort those who hurt, we can pray the words of God, and when the time is right, offer the words of God too.
Pictured is a narcissus bulb, also called a Paperwhite. On its own, it looks like nothing but maybe a garlic bulb. But set near water, its roots grow out and drink in the water; green shoots burst forth and in time, it graces anyone nearby with a delicate white flower and an intoxicating fragrance. Now if that don’t preach!
Oh Friend, don’t you see – there is no time better spent than in the Word of God! There is nothing more worthwhile to read, seek to understand, learn and yes, memorize. That is why, no matter the circumstances in the world, I had to give you Jesus’ words today as rendered by Luke. I pray your heart longs for the words of God, that your roots will go down deep, and you will emit a winsome fragrance for all who are near you.
Listen: soak it in--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y81yIo1_3o8
Nothing like the Word of God~
Christine
Luke, #31
1 - Will you join me in praying for the healing of Corinne who thought she just had a persistent cough … turns out it was lung cancer, and spots were discovered in her brain as well.
2 - Praying the Scripture, especially the psalms.
3 – Luke 6.43-45
4 – Psalm 1.1-3, NLT