Planted Like A Tree

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." -Psalm 1:3

I was in the gym with my husband when Flyleaf's song All Around Me came on. As I started to hum the tune under my breath I had a thought. Worshipping God on a continuous basis brings life to our lives. Worship is like breathing in God's presence when we praise Him. Being without God's presence results in a static, lifeless faith. Every day we have this new opportunity to develop our relationship with God, and thus strengthen our faith in Him. It is something that brings us closer to Him and gives us more of His life in our lives.

Then I began to think about the trees, and how they provide oxygen to the rest of the world. One tree produces enough oxygen per year to support two human beings through the process of photosynthesis!* When trees convert sunlight into energy, this results in the production of oxygen. When we run in the natural, we require more oxygen. Therefore we need more of His presence and more faith to "run the race" He intended for us.

When we let God's light and life shine through us, we can create an environment of faith whereby people can experience (breathe in) God's presence, even if they don't know Him yet.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:5

Problems arise when we're not fully connected to Jesus, or when we're not planted next to a water source. Trees need water to survive. Also, they need the light of the sun to grow. Without these two things, a place of refreshment (a house of worship), and the sun (Jesus), a tree can't have a successful, fruitful life. Trees that are plated together overlap in their root systems, so that their roots are that much stronger, being less likely to fall, especially when storms come.

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" -Matthew 7:16

As trees, we need to make sure we're planted in the right place so that God's life in us can flourish.  Are you planted like a tree?

* http://chemistry.about.com/b/2010/04/22/how-much-oxygen-does-one-tree-produce.htm

Spiritual Seasons

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build..." -Ecc 3:1-3

One night at our church discipleship group, our worship leader had something she felt needed to be shared during prayer.

"I feel like God wants some of you to know that everyone goes through spiritual seasons, much like we're in a season change right now. Some of you may be in spring, where you're excited about new ideas and new things happening in your life. Others of you may be in winter, where you don't see much going on. But I want you to know that being in a different spiritual season is all okay, and it is all a part of God's plan."

Life in God has spiritual seasons. Sometimes our lives may be in flux. We may not know quite where we are going, and that is okay. We might be shedding old thought patters and beliefs that we need to get rid of in order to take us to a new place. We need to trust God in these seasons. We may be in a harvest season, enjoying the fruit of our labors. We may find ourselves in a dry place, like winter, or we may find ourselves in a place where everything is blooming and we are seeing a lot of spiritual fruit, like summer.

Whatever the season, know that God has a purpose for the season that you are in right now. Like the trees outside, when we're firmly planted in Him, these season changes are a natural part of being a Christian. Sometimes we need to be pruned. Plants that aren't pruned aren't able to grow to their full potential. We need to remember to hold tight to Him and trust Him during these season changes so He can do the greater work in our lives, and so Christ's glory can be revealed in us.

What season are you in right now?