Isaiah 61:3b “They will be called oaks of
righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor (for His
glory).”
On my list of 14 desires for our home here in Cincinnati was
that the Lord would give us trees and walking trails. Off our back deck is 730-acre Sharon Woods
(Sorry, Winnie the Pooh, ours is more than your 100-aker woods), one of the
largest of many parks in the city.
I love trees! In fact, my daughter Debbie gives me a special
calendar each year by Susan Branch. Even though Susan doesn’t know me, she
included this verse just for me on one of the months:
Trees! I love to look at the trees out back with leaves that
are now turning bright yellow and orange. Trees come in all sizes and kinds
(just like we do). They bear delicious fruit, beautiful leaves, even nuts! J They give shade and provide wood to use
for so many things, including heat. Sometimes we just plant them to give us
beauty in our yards.
So many truths we can learn
from trees that will go along with this encouraging verse in Isaiah 61:3.
OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: How does this happen in our lives - so
that people see a beautiful “oak of righteousness” when they look at you or me?
First of all, this is not our righteousness that makes us a strong oak.
II Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Have you received the Lord Jesus
as your Savior so you can be righteous because of Him? That is the only way you
can be a strong “oak of righteousness” for others to admire and
then they benefit from the “fruit” that you bear for the Lord.
PLANTING OF
THE LORD: Ahhh! There is the
secret! The Lord plants the Oak...He plants us. My prayer is, as God promised
to Judah, that I would grow like this:
Isaiah 37:31: “Judah shall again
take root downward, and bear fruit upward.”
This
can only happen when we practice Psalm 1:2-3:
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.”
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.”
Read Psalm 1 again...put your
name in the place of “his” or “he.” “But Maylou’s delight....”
Then what happens? We, as
beautiful oaks of righteousness, planted by the Lord, will
DISPLAY HIS SPLENDOR...FOR HIS
GLORY! What is “splendor”? “Brilliance,
magnificence, beauty.” Is your “splendor” for God’s glory or for your own?
Just as we look at beautiful
trees this fall and thank our Creator for them, others should look at us and
see “oaks of righteousness” that stand firm during all seasons of life and
thank our Creator-God who has “planted” us to bring glory to Him.
--Maylou Holladay
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