The Plumbline

One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.  (Thomas Fuller) When was the last time you climbed a tree? It has been years since I have actually climbed a tree in a literal sense! I consider it good these days to just scale a ladder! In a spiritual sense, I am constantly being asked to climb trees and reminded of the advantage of getting that different perspective! Not to mention - access to fruit I'd otherwise never be able to reach! Godly men are growing a tree that bears life-giving fruit, and all who win souls are wise. (Proverbs 11:30 TLB) A tree is made up of all manner of branches - some large and quite broad spreading; others wispy-like, but capable of holding lots and lots of weight beyond their imagined capacity. We'd think nothing of taking hold of that one with the broad expanse and firmness evident just by its size, right? We'd be silly to expect that wispy one to hold our weight, but it holds something very good if we can shimmy our way out t...

I am like a green olive tree growing in God’s Temple. I will trust God’s faithful love forever and ever. (Psalm 52:8 ERV) "For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver." (Martin Luther) I have some trees in my yard that shed their leaves every fall as the weather begins to change enough to let them know winter is fast approaching. There are other trees in the yard that do not ever lose their "green" appearance because they shed leaves all year, little by little, as they are no longer vital to the tree and new ones come in their place. There is much to be said about both processes, so let's consider just a few things this morning: 1. The tree that sheds all its leaves is left bare and exposed, allowing all the scars of growth and pruning to be visible. I once heard it said we should rejoice when we see our scars for they really are signs that once a wound was there, bu...

As we took the Durango-Silverton Steam Train ride through the wooded passages carved deep with rapidly running rivers and lush green meadows, it was a joyous moment when I observed this Douglas Fir, about one foot tall right smack-dab in the middle of the rapidly running Animas River.  Now, at first you might not think much about this "find" of mine, but let me assure you of a couple of things.  First, the tree was growing - not just laying there or lodged into a rock.  It was actually growing right in the middle of the rapids! Second, it was growing straight up toward the open sky - no bend, no lean.  Lastly, it was lush in growth and green.  If you find this a little odd, so did I because we don't usually see trees growing in rapid waters - maybe along the banks of the river, but not right in the middle of the rapidly flowing cold waters of high country run-off.  It brought to mind the passage about growing strong, like a tree planted by a stream - a tre...