The Bowing Tree

The Bowing Tree

“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Jeremiah 17:8

Every time I return to Kentucky and cross the border I sing our state song, My Old Kentucky Home. I have a few close friends who either love our state or love me enough to sing it with me. Sadly, my beloved Kentucky was one of the states that was pounded by the ice storm in late January 2009. When ice forms on the tree limbs, its weight is difficult for the limbs to bear. The limbs begin to sag to the ground. If the limb is not strong enough, it breaks.

Some trees had broken during the storm. Some trees had broken and caused much damage to the property around them. Some trees knocked down power lines. Some trees or limbs had shattered through glass. Some had crashed through cars or even homes. Tree limbs broken by the storm dangled precariously over the streets and fell randomly regardless of what was below.

The newspaper said that 769, 353 people lost power. Tragically, the storm was attributed with taking 28 precious souls. The governor called the storm, “the worst natural disaster in the state's modern history.” The power company, government, and relief workers pulled together to work on restoring power, handing out food and water, and clearing the debris. Utility workers trekked through dangerous roads to reset power lines.

For my children, it meant snow days and out of school for the rest of the week. In their eyes, the beauty of the snow and ice just looked like a winter wonderland and made them wonder why mom ever tries to decorate the yard for a Christmas winter scene when God’s creation does a much better job.

Our whole family had watched the effect on our trees. Our pear tree stood tall through the storm. Our magnolia tree that once stood proudly looked like a weeping willow tree as all of its beautiful branches bent to kiss the ground. My children prayed for God to take care of it.

A few days after the storm while it still looked like winter wonderland, Sophia and I were driving to her soccer game. We found our favorite tree of all. The tree that captured our attention was the one with the trunk bent in a u-shape and the top of the tree on the ground. I said to her, “That tree is bowing down to God, Sophia.”

Then, it spurred a fountain of wisdom from my darling daughter about how the trees speak so much to us about Christians. She said, “Mommy, it is just like people. Only a few of us bow down to God and are really Christians.” Then, we started thinking of more parallels. When the storms of life come, some Christians stand tall and unaffected during the storm like our pear tree. However, some of us break under the pressure. We worry, explode in anger, and lose our trust in God. Some of us break so much that we are like the fallen trees that do damage to the property around us. We hurt our families, ruin our jobs, and suffer consequences for a long time to come.

I have been through many storms in my life. I remember when I told my commander some of my background. He said,”I can’t believe someone so young as you has seen so many troubles in life.” Now, that I have lived longer, I see that many people have experienced much worse than I have. I also have matured a bit spiritually where it takes more to rock me. (Somehow that doesn’t feel like a good thing because we need to be rocked every now and then.) I’ve learned that sometimes Christians stand strong through the storms of life. God desires to show us how strong we are in Him during those times. Other storms require us to fall prostrate to the ground and bow before the throne of the living God of the universe. As I say that to you, I say it with a heart full of worship. That’s when we may find that we feel the most alive because of how we experience God.

Beloved, what about you? Which tree have you been during the storm – fallen tree, destructive tree, standing strong tree, or the bowing tree? If you are like me, maybe you have experiences for all of them, and you know that storms of life will keep coming. We must be prepared and rooted in God’s Word so that our experiences glorify Him through showing His mighty strength or through complete trust and honor as we bow to worship the God Most High.

Pray with me: Almighty God, You amaze us! We magnify Your Name. You are holy, wonderful, beautiful, mysterious, intoxicating, and merciful! You are our protective Father, yet righteous Judge. We honor You for who You are and not just what You do for us.

Thank You for Your hand of protection during the storm. We ask You to pour out Your Spirit on the families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. Comfort those who mourn. We weep with them.

For those of us who are still able, it is our honor to physically bow down and worship You. There is nothing like putting our bodies in the same position as our hearts. Some day that won’t be an option. Some day there won’t be any physical restrictions barring us. Some day it won’t be one out of many, but it will be every single person in every generation, in every tribe, and in every nation who bows down and worships You. Oh, how we praise You, Lord! It’s in Your Son’s Name we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels

No Other Gods

No Other Gods

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

‘To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour our gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.’ "

Isaiah 46:4-7

As I was doing my morning quiet time on New Year’s Day, God brought me to these Scriptures and told me to meditate on these words. For many months, God has been saying to me “No Other Gods.” I realized it was an invitation for deeper intimacy for me and for His bride. Then, He began to teach me the fullness of what that meant and how He was leading me to be closer to Him. While I may not bow down to a physical idol, He taught me that we can make other things our god; one in particular for me was relationships.

Other gods can also be sports, relationships, work, money, knowledge, information, food, body image, worry, TV, internet, identity, our children’s activities, pleasure, lust, sex, or a dream. Our idols may not be made of stone, wood, metal, or precious jewels, but they are whatever masters us, whatever owns our hearts, whatever we trust, whatever we fear, or on whatever we focus our energy. It is basically the root of our motivations. Why do we do what we do? Why are we motivated to participate in this or choose this thing? It is anything that substitutes for God. These things can be good, but when we want them too much and more than we want God, then we are figuratively hiring a goldsmith to make a god for us to carry around.

Some people try to purchase other gods. We are very skilled at making idols, and we use our abundant resources. However, all other gods fail to compare to the majesty and power of the one true God! No other god can save us from our troubles. No other god can go with us wherever we go. No other god can hear our cry and answer when we call upon him. Psalm 16:4 tells us that sorrows, pains, and hurts increase for those who run after other gods. Psalm 97:7 says that those who worship and boast in idols will be put to shame. Even though we worship and bow down to them figuratively, they are incapable to move on our behalf. They cannot act for us.

Our God, the Hope of Israel, Jehovah, The Father of Jesus the Messiah, can act on our behalf. Nothing else in life compares to Him…No human experience…No human crafted thing. Nothing fashioned by human design comes close to Him. We fall into traps, and we believe lies that our God can be compared or equaled to anything else. He is incomparable! Nothing compares to Him.

If you are a child of God, then you can be assured these are true for you, too. God is our Sustainer. “Sustain” means “keep us in existence.” When others are trying to take our lives, attack us physically or emotionally, God is the One who is keeping us from crumbling, shrinking, retreating, and shelling up. By sustaining us, God is the One who “strengthens our spirits, gives us courage, encourages, comforts, and buoys us up.” When we don’t get swallowed by the rushing water and swept away, it is because of God. He is our Maker. He is our Rescuer. He is our Carrier. He carries us when our feet cannot take another step!

I don’t know where you stand, but I hope you agree with me. When I realize all that I have to gain in God and the heartache and futility of other gods, I just want my eyes to be open to my motivations and to never substitute anything for Him. There is way too much living to do by making God the God of everything in my life! Agree?

Pray with me: Oh, Lord, no one compares to You or can be counted Your equal. You are incomparable! Even until we are old and gray, You are our all in all. You will sustain us. You made us, You will carry us, and You will rescue us.

Lord, we desire to be drawn closer to You. We do not want other things to be hindrances in our relationship with You. Reveal to us anything or anyone that we have set up in a place above You. Enable us to live the lifestyle of one who has no other gods except You. Don’t let us close our ears or cover our eyes to any idol that You reveal to us. We desire to lift You up and to have as much of You as we can on this side of heaven. We just want more of You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels