The Tale of Two Trees

The mighty fir tree proudly acknowledged his own awesome beauty on display. Perfectly proportioned from the uppermost branch capable of supporting an angel or shining star, to the lowest limbs, equi-distant from the trunk on every side. Balanced! Never in danger of swaying or tipping in a dangerous direction. Proudly he stood, a Christmas tree triumphant!

His every branch displayed treasured ornaments, evidence of countless years of collecting. The fir took particular joy in a series of decorative figurines added during his formative years as a tree. Fond memories of the teacher who crafted those Biblical images reminded him constantly of all he owed to the spiritual lights who guided him to the place of prominence he now occupied.

Successive seasons of accumulation served to enhance his image, elevating him to a position of breath-taking splendor. Everyone who gazed on the amassed riches marveled that one tree could hold such a wealth of decorative glory. A seemingly endless string of pearls wrapped its way through the entire expanse of his branches, representative of the unbroken chain of years he had resided in the place of honor. No one questioned his place at the front. No one sought to supplant the mighty fir’s position of prominence.

Motifs from both Old and New Testament narratives abounded in the gorgeous display. Christmas and Easter. Exodus and Conquest. Psalms and Proverbs. Apostles and Epistles. Kingdom and the Eternal State. Many objects hung heavily below the limbs to which they were attached, indicative of their great value. Gold and silver embellishments, blown-glass delicates, ornamental paintings worthy of an art gallery, all contributed to the over-whelming personal estimate of the spiritual self-worth of the tree’s magnificent appearance.

Only one problem disturbed the appreciation of those who witnessed the magnificence of the display. The fir tree had no life. On display, and awesomely beautiful, but inwardly as dead as a rock in the Petrified Forest.

On the floor, hidden from view and unnoticed by those who gathered to gaze on the fir tree, perched a shrub. No gold, silver, glass or pearls. Red berries introduced a slight note of color along with the fresh, green hue of the leaves. Buds of a lighter tint hinted of nutrients added to the soil instead of baubles hung on its limbs. The shrub humbly accepted his lack of beauty. The shrub knew he was needy. The shrub needed water. The shrub needed light. The shrub needed strength.

The shrub needed exactly what the shrub had.

The shrub possessed life.
Moral:
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (Psalm 1:3, NIV).

Every student of the Bible faces a choice. You can be a dead fir tree or a growing shrub, a Christmas tree or a planted bush. You can accumulate spiritual ornaments from external sources and decorate your branches, or you can produce fruit as a result of spiritual growth. Becoming a Christmas tree may gain you great acclaim. Becoming a planted tree may result in obscurity. But one great distinction will remain.

The planted tree possesses life.

The ornamental tree lacks even the possibility of growth.

"Dare to Walk On Water: The Workbook," available on Amazon.offers a plan for planted plants, not for painted plants. That makes it a challenge. You will be investing in soil, light and water rather than golden globes, glittering glass and silver stars. Growth may seem slow at times, but you can be assured of this fact—the fruit you bear will come from within. You will be a tree planted by the streams of water and you will bring forth fruit.