LESSON FROM THE PINE TREES

The past couple of weeks while driving to work from Nashville to Adel, I have been watching the pine trees to see if they were going to display their annual celebration of Holy Week.  Two years ago they were spectacular!  Last year they formed their fingers pointing upward but I never saw them form into crosses.  It was a disappointment and a mystery.  I was afraid they weren't going to do it this year because I didn't see any signs.  Then, last week I noticed that the fingers had appeared on some of the trees I passed.  Yesterday I was delighted to see some of the trees were forming into crosses.  

Today is Thursday of Holy Week and my thoughts journeyed back to that eventful Thursday and Passover meal that has come to be called The Last Supper.  I pondered on the scene in my mind that I have formed from exegetical study and teaching of The Word of God for over twenty years.  Several things are prominent about that night.  One is that Jesus changed some things about the commanded feast of the Jews.  He gave the unleavened bread and wine new significance and said they were now to do it in remembrance of Him whenever they ate the bread and drank the wine. He told them that was the last time he would eat the bread and drink the wine until He had it in the kingdom of God.  He told them He would be betrayed, suffer death and be risen and meet them in Galilee. He told them He was going away to prepare a place for them in His Father's House and would come back and take all Believers to be with Him.
   

He also gave a new commandment to "love one another as I have loved you."   The reason for this is that while He is gone to His Father's House, The Father is sending His Holy Spirit to live in those who belong to Him until He comes back for them.  Therefore, loving one another as He loved is loving Him and being loved by Him!  That's why His Believers are called His Body.

Today as I was driving to work and thinking on these things, I watched the trees along the side of the road.  To my delight there were crosses forming.  At one point the trees were so beautiful that I just stopped my car and sat and looked and praised The Lord our Creator and our Savior along with them.

If you haven't seen this spectacular wonder, start looking up at the pine trees.  You will see the tips of their branches lifted like fingers and hands in praise to The Creator and announcing the coming of Easter and Passover.  They do this every year a couple of weeks before Easter!  Almost overnight the fingers will transform into crosses lifted toward Heaven reminding all of us of what our Creator God did to redeem us from the bondage of sin. Then the crosses become the new life on the tree. 

As the pine trees display their yearly message of telling us that Easter is coming...I wondered about mankind and our praise (especially those who have received the gift of salvation).  Are we pointing the world to the cross?  Are we demonstrating the new life of The Holy Spirit of God living within and helping us to love as He loved?

I stay amazed at the wonder of God and His creative genius!   May we demonstrate that He lives! ~Betty

"You are My witnesses, declares the Lord, that I am God." Isaiah 43:12