I'm A Tree
"I am like a green olive tree in the house of God . . ." (Psalm 52:8). "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon" (Psalm 92:12)). Over and over, again and again, the Bible likens our life on earth to that of a tree: ". . . as the days of a tree are the days of my people . . ." (Isaiah 65:22)). With this fact in mind, let's take some lessons from Mother Nature. 1. What is planted is what comes up. If we plant acorns, we do not expect apple trees to grow. The seed we sow in our life daily is what is going to come up. If we sow thoughts of worldliness, lust, and foolishness, we will see the works of the flesh sprouting. If we sow the Word of God, hymns,spiritual thoughts and songs, the growth of the fruit of the Spirit is inevitable: "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things(Philippians 4:8). 2. The proper climate is critical. Some trees can best be grown in certain climates (citrus in Florida, peaches in Georgia, apples in Washington, for example). In southern Louisiana one can grow a little citrus tree called "the Satsuma." It is a hardy little tree, but practically impossible to grow north of a certain point. Many have attempted to grow these trees in central Louisiana, and sometimes they are successful for a little while--maybe a year or two--but sooner or later the winter weather will be too harsh and the tree will die. None of us would be foolish enough to choose the Alaskan climate for a peach tree farm. The spiritual climate we choose for "our tree" is equally important. The fruit of the Spirit cannot survive long in a harsh, worldly climate. 3. The atmosphere is important. Light and moisture play equally significant roles in the growth of a tree. The lack of either of these would very quickly be disastrous. Our environment will play a crucial role in the type of spiritual tree we grow. The amount exposure to the "Light of the World," and our access to the "Living Water" will decide the fruitfulness and healthiness of "our tree." We can choose the seed, the atmosphere, and the climate for "our tree," but the resultant fruit is the inevitable consequence of our choices. We do not choose or select the fruit we want to bear; we decide the seed and the growing conditions. The fruit is the natural conclusion!  Sir, We Would See Jesus By Mary WolfeI remember that first desire just to SEE Him - a strange compulsion like Zacchaeus, even it took some special effort. Perhaps a climb up a sycamore tree, a pressing through the crowd, a tearing up of the roof. And then I saw Him! And I rejoiced with the Apostle Paul, “He was seen of me also!” O, the majesty, the beauty, the amazing grace I beheld. Then swiftly followed the cry, “Oh, that I may know Him.” For as I look and see, the more I want to KNOW of that I am beholding. A desire grips me to know Him in every way - in the power of His resurrection and yes, even in the fellowship of His sufferings. Like Peter, desiring to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Like Paul, even to the point of counting all things loss for the excellency of that knowledge. And then gripped with the desire to BE LIKE HIM! Feeling more and more how little I have seen Him yet. Feeling more and more how little I know Him yet. Feeling more and more how little I am like Him yet!. And the cry, “That I may know Him” grows in intensity as I grow in knowledge. An endless cycle? Oh, no. Fulfillment ever? Oh, yes. For though for now we SEE through a glass darkly and only KNOW in part, we shall SEE face to face - then shall we KNOW. . . And we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. I shall see! I shall know! I shall BE LIKE HIM! I will behold His face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with His likeness. You ask with Nathaniel, “Anything good?” With Andrew, I reply, “Come and see.”
The Way By Mary WolfeThe way to fly has always been there for someone to discover. But not until this century did mankind find the way. We could have split the atoms centuries ago if we had just known the way. The principles of electricity have been there since before Adam and Eve, but Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison were the individuals who found the way. To be successful in any endeavor of life, the first prerequisite is to know the way. In many areas of life there are books or manuals to assist us in finding the way. The information found in these materials do not make the way, but they do show us the way. For example, a cookbook tells us the way to bake a cake. A car manual shows us the way to fix or repair our automobile. These books do not impose or create the way to achieve the desired results. They only reveal the way to us. The Bible - given by the Creator of life, is a manual revealing the way of life itself -- the way to think, to feel, to act, to be. Jesus knows the way. As a matter of fact, He is the way, for He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). He can show us the way for "it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3) We must remember that every action we take in life is either the way or "not the way." How foolish we would be not to refer to the manual of life when problems arise, things need fixing, and decisions need to be made. The manual, the Word of God, was written and published by the Manufacturer of life Himself. when a problem arises, and a solution needs to be found, He knows the way. God's law is absolute. His way is sure. Humanity accepts that fact in almost every phase of life. The importance of obedience to the way is recognized in the fields of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and even music. We cannot break the law of gravity; we can only demonstrate it. We do not thwart the law of gravity and then rationalize our disobedience. That's just the way it is. We recognize and accept the reality of it. In my limited knowledge as a small child, it seemed the best way down from a second floor apartment would be to jump out the window. But - as I obtained more knowledge and experience with the law of gravity - I soon learned that the apparent quickest and easiest way was not the way at all. "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end therefore are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12). Let us illustrate this thought further. If I want water, I must accept the way (H20). I can object to the way, fret about the way, but the way remains the same. If my search is for abundant life, I must first learn to accept the way. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10). Our lives may be a maze of dead ends, false starts, bad times, and dangerous paths; however, there is the way to a successful journey. Look to the manual, the Word of Life. It is the key. It tells us the way. Back to Home Page of Mary's Musings This web page was created by Dale R. Starks, Spiritual Growth Ministries. |
