Tuesday, August 5, 2014
THE TREES
The trees -- something to remember on a warm summer day.
It is a good thing to occasionally stop and "smell the roses." We lead such busy lives, few are the moments to stop and appreciate the little things. Today we appreciate the trees.
A healthy tree is a marvel. If you live in a place where there are few trees you especially know what I mean. A healthy tree marks the beginning of spring when it puts out buds. Its leaves afford shade during the heat of summer. Its leaves turn from green to red, orange and yellow in the fall. Our God didn't have to make things so beautiful for fallen humankind, but He did.
A diseased tree is a sad sight. Its health and vitality fade away and it drops its leaves and bark. What was once a marvel becomes an eyesore in the midst of the creation. It serves as a reminder of devastation wrought by the entrance of sin into this world. So when you come upon a diseased, a dead or dying tree, let it remind you of THE TREE. It was upon THE TREE that our merciful God paid the ransom price for our sins.
So did the Apostle Peter write as inspired by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:24):
"who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed."
A healthy tree affords shade and relief in the heat of summer. The cross of Christ offers relief and release from the burden and disease of sin. Wouldn't today be a good day to point out the message of THE TREE to someone you know?
