Deuteronomy 20:19
“When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food.”
I am a lover of God’s creation, and eating of a tree means many things to me. Peaches freshly pulled from a branch taste terrific, but feasting my eyes on a healthy tree, whose foliage shades and refreshes, is even more pleasurable. Its effortless growth reminds me that I often worry and labor when I should be looking and growing upward. The stability of such a tree speaks of God’s faithfulness to bring the needed water and light so that the tree becomes a blessing and delight.
At our home, we have many trees, and a few of them are pretty tall. Each afternoon, the winds begin to pick up until there is a constant breeze upon their branches and trunks. But look closer. There is more going on than meets the eye. Botanists tell us that the more wind a tree experiences, the deeper the roots will push into the earth beneath, sometimes securing themselves to a large rock well below the surface if the winds are strong and frequent.
I cannot see the wind that passes through the treetops, only its effect as it dances over and around the leaves. Learn this lesson and be encouraged. The windy trials that push against me are not for my destruction but for growth, making even the sound of the wind comforting to my ears. When I remember that all is in the hands of Him who created it, I understand the effort God puts forth to grow you and me.
Awaiting His Return,
– Pastor Jack
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