Read: Psalm 92:12-15
Reflect: Once upon a time, I stood straight; filled with pride. I thought I could bear the force of life’s storms. With all our years of pastoral experience, how bad could it be? Then came the year of multiple typhoons. In a blink of an eye, came the sudden loss of career, savings, home, our church family, and friendships.
HOW THE MIGHTY HAD FALLEN
My base weakened during that horrific season. The soil supporting my roots was filled with sand. I snapped. Uprooted from the earth, that one last mighty gust of circumstances toppled me over with a mighty crash. And so, I lay broken, humiliated, and confused. All who passed by saw how the mighty had fallen. My dreams had plummeted to the ground.
Yes, I am that splintered and broken tree.
WHAT DOES THE FATHER DO WITH BROKEN TREES?
What does the Father do with broken trees? All that remained of me was a branch broken from a worthless, wild wilderness tree. I am certainly worthy of the burn pile. Yet He tenderly offers to graft me into Himself. He permanently attaches me to the eternal tree of life.
THE TREE THAT STAYS FRESH AND GREEN
I read the words of David in Psalm 92:12-15: The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.”
I CHOOSE TO TRUST
In this season of life, age is running its course, but I choose to still produce fruit and flourish no matter what tornadoes are headed my way. The storms threaten to twist, break and uproot me again. The choice is to trust and tether my roots tightly to the Hand of God and to His Word. I never again want to become that barren tree filled with pride and worthless. I have been grafted into Himself.
No matter what age or stage of life you are in, have you tethered your roots tightly to Jesus Christ; fully grafted into Him? Lots of storms loom on the horizon. You can bear fruit, even in the darkness.