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Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : Are you an evergreen tree?

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 Are you an evergreen tree?

Have you noticed that there are saints, mostly older, who have a peace about them? They are Godly, they are full of wisdom, they are steady no matter what the circumstances. We know that Paul said that he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself in. (Php 4:11) If you look at that portion of Scripture you could translate it into today's reality and say that whether you had food on the table or not, you would be content. Whether you had a job or not, you would be content. Whether you were free or whether you were imprisoned, you would be content.

What is the secret to Paul's contentment? He did say that he had learned it, so there was no magic wand, he did not just wake up one day and have this contentment whatever his situation. What we know about Paul's life was that it was a life of trials and tribulations, hunger, loss, ridicule, torture and at the end of his life he was murdered. When you talk to these saints that have this " anointing,' in my experience they have one thing in common, hard lives. Not just a few trials, not just a couple of obstacles, but, since coming to Christ, one obstacle after the other. And yet, they now walk in a peculiar peace, a steadiness that knows, through multiple trials, that the Lord is in it and He will not let them down.

They will tell you that its not their faith that is great, it is that they have realized how great His faithfulness is. They have become evergreen trees planted by the waters of Gods presence. Are you an evergreen tree planted by the waters of Gods presence? You know, the deeper the roots the steadier the tree. Let the winds blow as they will, the tree that has deep roots is steady. The tree that is planted by the river of life has access to a constant source. Do you live close to the source of life? Have you embraced the trials of life? Jesus came to be the servant of all and we too must be the servants of all. We must be offended, mis-treated, mis-understood, rejected, despised cruelly used, abused and so on. Do you desire these things? The flesh detests them. Yet, to walk in the Spirit, to walk in the presence of God, to walk in His peace and revelation, we yield to all of those things and we die to the flesh that demands justice.

Is there another way? I wish that I could that there was but there is not and the heart that is open to God is open to the world and the world will trample it. Then the answer must be to close off our hearts to protect ourselves from hurt and pain and rejection? We cannot do that for that same heart that protects itself cannot be open to God. This is the choice, and there is no other. It truly is life or death. And we cannot rest upon one decision to die to someone or something, ours is a daily death. Death to flesh is the answer to life in Christ. This does not mean a morbid self obsession of how bad and sinful we are, no, certainly not. While one, in the presence of God, always recognizes how far he falls short of the living God and will always desire to be more like His Savior. That same one will have joy unspeakable in the presence of God because he knows that he is a child of the living God and that our heavenly Father loves us with an everlasting love.

Ultimately it is about decisions to simply lay it down, whatever it is. We ourselves know of what great a debt that we have been forgiven, and in that light , it cannot stand that we would not exercise forgiveness on whoever and for whatever. And it cannot be for any particular purpose or desire to effect change, it must be for the thing itself. Forgiveness is not a tool for change, we forgive because we are forgiven. We love because we are loved. We exercise mercy and grace because we have our being in mercy and grace. We simply do as we see the Father do. We should be mere conduits of Him, this is the essence of who we are. We should be like the moon, a thing in and of itself that has no life, but the light of the sun reflects of it and brings light to a dark world.

To die to ourselves is to live for Him. This is the secret of the saints who are as evergreen trees to the world. They have died to their rights and their ambitions and their flesh, and they did not do it over night. They pushed on through the multiple trials and continue to live in peace whatever come their way, for they believe in the glory to come. They have settled it in their hearts that in this world they will have tribulations, but they rejoice that they are close to the one that is victorious over this world.

So, you want to be an evergreen tree? You want to walk in the peace that surpasses all understanding? If you are willing to die to all of your hopes and dreams and ambitions and embrace a life of tribulations, which in effect means a life of spiritual warfare, then you too can be an evergreen tree. I wrote the poem below as a hearts cry..................

Plant me by the rivers, Oh Living God
That I may drink of thee
Plant me by the rivers oh Living God
Make me like an evergreen tree

My delight is in the law and it is my roots
Sunk down deeper ever closer to thee
Lead me to the Rock that is higher that I
Make me like an evergreen tree

Though the landscape turns to desert
And the world turns its back on thee
Night and day I shall come before you
Make me like an evergreen tree

May I walk in the council of the Godly
Walking ever closer to thee
May I be a vessel for thy good pleasure
Make me like an evergreen tree


 2011/8/27 0:48
MyVeryHeart
Member



Joined: 2010/8/30
Posts: 449
Paradise, California

 Re: Are you an evergreen tree?

Blessing Brother,

I was in a garden pulling weeds. They were easy to pull out because their roots were shallow. Then I tried to pull out an Oak seedling by hand I could not do it. It hurt my hand. Maybe the root was deep. Or maybe the root had a firm anchor. But the Lord says this:

Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2
But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Psa 1:4
The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

The weeds will wither a be blown away but the oaks will remain.
May we be steadfast in the word, firmly planted, drawing forth living water from our Lord, Jesus Christ.


_________________
Travis

 2011/8/27 1:00Profile









 Re:

"The weeds will wither a be blown away but the oaks will remain.
May we be steadfast in the word, firmly planted, drawing forth living water from our Lord, Jesus Christ"

Amen! ...........brother Frank

 2011/8/27 9:08





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