What Lies Beneath

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:8

     As a child growing up we had a tree in our front yard that we would try to climb when our tennis ball or whiffle ball would get wedged in one of its branches. It was pretty annoying because the branches were so mangled together it made it difficult to squeeze through and tear the ball away from its clutches (yes, they have clutches). Often times my brother and I had to wait days for the wind to knock our ball out, which is probably why we made up a lot of games to occupy the time as we waited for gravity to take its course.

     I had never taken notice or appreciation for trees in my youth. They were always just an obstacle or nuisance preventing me from enjoying my game. There were rare occasions when the shade was appreciated, but never the tree. As a matter of fact, I can’t say I truly appreciate them even now. I see the value now more than I had when I was younger, but I’m not sure I wake up thanking God for creating them (whatever, don’t judge me).

     I can’t say I ever wake up thinking about trees or plant life at all for that matter. However, when I read a passage like the one above and I think of trees and how the bible references them, my thoughts immediately take me back to the beginning in Genesis 2 where there are two trees with great significance and the one in Revelation 22. Then I think of Psalm 1 where the psalmist writes about the trees planted by streams of water. Then there are the palms and cedars mentioned in Psalm 92 including all the references and analogies about how we are to be like trees bearing fruit in our lives.

     With all these wonderful images the Bible uses I often overlook how truly amazing trees really are. Take for example the olive tree. This tree is notable for several reason, namely its branch making a cameo after the flood as well as the mount where Jesus prayed.

     What’s fascinating about this tree when you see it is how incredibly twisted it can grow, especially the ones arborists say are thousands of years old. They’re stumpy, weather-beaten, and have overcome several lifetimes of resistance (sounds like someone I know). But what is so interesting about this incredible tree is that even if its above-ground structure has completely died and has no visible signs of growth, its root systems are so resilient and strong, a living tree can actually restore back to life the parts that seemed beyond recovery (can you see where I’m going?).

      Isn’t that the picture of what the gospel is all about? Redemption, restoration, new life, a much bigger story than we could ever imagine. One where we are not trying to simply pick up the pieces that have fallen apart or completely spliced off, but that deep down underneath the surface, where no one else can see, without the help of our own, where what seemed dead and gone, God brings back to life and restores what could never be restored on its own. He takes all of that was dead, broken, and dried up and beyond repair and saturates that lifeless space over and over again.

     This, my friends, is a picture of what He’s done in my life. It’s what He’s done in my relationship with my wife. It’s what He continually does in our family’s life and it’s what He can do with yours.