I SEE TREES WALKING
I SEE TREES WALKING
In Mark 8 v 22 - 25, Jesus healed the blind man at Bethsaida. When Jesus asked the man if he could see anything, the man said:
“I can see the people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” Mark 8 v 24
When Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes a second time, the man’s sight was restored, and he could see clearly.
When the man saw ‘trees walking’ it was as if it was a representation of the souls of men. He discerned the inward being - the sounds and character of men, before he fully saw the outward appearance of their flesh, through his new, found sight. He saw ‘trees walking’.
King David was famed for encouraging Himself in the Lord. He always put his hope in God. His faith was firmly rooted in the God of his salvation. Further in the Bible, in the Book of Jeremiah, it is written:
“But blessed is the one who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. He 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 v 7 – 8
What we do or do not do with the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the Word of God (i.e. the Bible) and the gifts of God (i.e. our God-given talents) determines whether we are walking in the spirit with God or whether we are spiritually dead men walking.
In the U.S.A the term ‘dead man walking’ refers to the final walk from a solitary place of confinement to a place of execution. Without being connected and rooted in Jesus Christ we are like dead men walking. There is no freedom for our souls when we choose to walk disconnected from our Creator – our Father God. The apostle John said:
“So, if the Son sets you free you are free indeed.” John 8 v 36.
Out freedom is found in Jesus Christ.
King David said in one of his Psalms:
“The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of the grave overcame me; was confronted by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord “Please, Lord save me.” How kind the Lord is. How good He is. So merciful! This God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death and He saved me. Let my soul be at rest again. For the Lord has been good to me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so, I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth.” Psalm 116 v 3 – 9
The level of our trusting in the Lord determines whether we are trees walking aimlessly or whether we are like trees with roots that go deep with Jesus Christ, by being planted by the well of His water. Any well will not do! Any watering hole will not do! Any water will not do! When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well (John 4) he said to her:
“If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4 v 10
Again, He said to her:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4 v 13 - 14
Being in alignment with His will for our lives means our leaves are always green, and we ‘bear fruit in each season’. Every season should be a season of abundance and success. I researched just four things that can be grown in the United Kingdom in each season:
Winter - Broad beans, cauliflower, spinach, winter salad
Spring – Cucumber, radishes, squash, basil
Summer – Carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, berries
Autumn – Garlic, strawberries, onions, peas
As it is in the spiritual, so it is in the natural. As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. You and I need to be active in ploughing, fertilizing, sowing, watering, protecting, and nurturing.
Ploughing the soil – Inviting Jesus Christ to work on our character so we are becoming more and more a reflection of Him. God said:
“Let us make man in our image.” Genesis 1 v 26
“But must as He who called you is Holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written “Be holy, because I am Holy.” 1 Peter 1 v 15 - 16
Fertilizing the soil – Feeding the soil of our faith requires adding to our faith. The apostle Peter said:
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities and continue in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1 v 5 – 8
Sowing seeds – Reading God’s Word, praying God’s Word, meditating on God’s Word and sharing God’s Word are seeds that blesses our lives and others. Jesus said:
“The seed is the Word of God” Luke 8 v 11
When we study the Word of God the seed of faith germinates and grows, impacting our lives and those around us.
Watering the seeds – Allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the mysteries of God’s Word within our lives to guide us into all Truth, so we grow. Watering the seeds ensure the seeds do not rot, dry up or die. The apostle Peter said:
“My God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” 2 Peter 1 v 2
Protecting and nurturing the seeds – Humbly allowing ourselves to be mentored and pastored b Godly people and being wise enough to stay under God’s covering. Joshua learnt from Moses. Elisha learnt from Elijah. Timothy learnt from the apostle Paul. We can and should learn from those who are more experienced than ourselves in the magnitude of their faith, prayer life, knowledge, evangelism and service in bringing glory to our Father God and the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom, your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.” Proverbs 9 v 9 – 11
Weeding among the seeds - In among all these spiritual activities, as we grow there will be times of weeding - the constant process of being refined like silver and purified like gold as we respond to the Word of God through the leading of the Holy Spirit:
“And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.” Psalm 12 v 6
And finally, we look forward to reaping the joyful harvest of God’s spiritual and natural provisions, knowing that He is our source and resource. Let us celebrate with rejoicing that through the grace of our Father God we are planted, we are watered, and we are growing, and in so doing we join the declaration of the prophet Isaiah:
“You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55 v 12
Amen xxx