The Tree God Planted

I was a dry, withered tree
in a parched land of my choosing
I was fooled into thinking
this was where I ought to be
When the strong winds blew
I cracked and fell to the ground
But God re-established me
by His Living Streams of Water
The remnant of His Spirit in me
remained because He promised
never to leave or forsake me
And I began to grow roots
deep into the rich, nourishing ground of His Word
Soon, the birds built nests in my branches
singing happily because of my hospitality
And when the winds of conflict blew
I released seeds for God’s Kingdom
Though my branches moaned and swayed
and the rains beat hard against me
I remained firmly planted in the ground
To show that all the glory goes to Jesus Christ my Lord!
Sorrow, lament, loneliness and despair
I thought I could hold myself up
But I kept on tumbling to the ground
I appeared to be a beautiful tree
But I was hollow inside because of lies that ate me up
because I based my worth on my merits
and other’s approval of me
The howling wind frightened me
and I could not stand my ground
But finally, I heard God calling out to me
And He reminded me that He alone will give me strength
to stand upon His Word
(See: Jeremiah 17:5-10, Lamentations 3, Psalm 80, Psalm 146, John 15:1-17)

By, Susan Anderson 2019

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