from me to you…”God’s not dead He’s yet a live. I can feel him in my hands, I feel Him in my feet, I feel Him in my heart, I feel Him in my soul, I feel Him all over me.” What a great song for such a time as this.
While taking an early morning walk a few days ago, my attention was drawn to the tree that’s in the above picture. As I gazed at the tree I thought to myself, how does this tree look so strong but yet there are no leaves on it. No sign of life, but yet it stands firm as if it was spring or summer. I continued my walk but the thought stayed with me.
During the winter trees go into what is called dormancy which is very much like hibernation. They may look like they’re sleeping or dead, but trees still do a lot to keep their cells alive, which is how they survive the winter. They drop their leaves so they no longer have to support them. They stock their cells with water, which they use in various plant processes. During winter they move some of that water into spaces between the cells. This helps keep the inside of the cells from freezing, which would cause the cell to die.
I listened to my Pastor share a message of hope this morning and he referenced Jeremiah 33:3 Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Since the day I saw this tree I have been looking at it on my phone and asking God what should I see concerning this tree.
Jeremiah 1:11-12 And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” another translation puts it this way; “You have seen well, for I am alert and active watching over My Word to perform it.”
The almond tree – “the wakeful tree” – it awakes from the sleep of winter earlier than the other trees, flowering in January and bearing fruit in March. Although the tree I reference in the picture is not an almond tree, I feel like we are about to bear fruit from this state of dormancy that we have been in since the corona virus has reach the US. Particularly the past few weeks. Church buildings have been ordered to close and not hold gatherings of more than 10 people. The body of Christ, the Church as been meeting as cell groups. A cell group is a small group that is part of a church or organization that typically meet in the homes of it’s members. We are now seeing small prayer gatherings, small worship gatherings and small teaching/ministering gatherings are streaming live via social media now more than ever. Families are home praying, worshipping and studying the Word of God. Water is represented in these gatherings, because we the people are the church and God is very much alive. His spirit abides in us. Water represents Holy Spirit’s ability to revive us, refresh us, cleanse us and bring forth life wherever He flows. Just like the tree that stocks it’s cells with water and moves the water around in the winter to keep it from freezing and killing the cells of the tree, we are stocked with water, filled with Holy Spirit and the water is being moved-stirred by our prayers, by the reading of the Word of God, by our trust in God, by our OBEDIENCE, by our faith and by our worship. Though the tree has the appearance of death, it is very much alive. Though we are facing this dreadful crisis, God the Church is yet alive. We can stand as the tree because we have living running cells of water within us.
You have to see the almond tree in this hour. It’s the wakeful tree. God is alive, He is awake. He is active and alert watching over His Word to perform it. What’s His Word?
Psalm 91, Isaiah 41:10, Exodus 15:26, Psalm 24, Psalm 27, Isaiah 55:11, Isaiah 54:17, Exodus 20:1-20
I beseech you my brothers and sisters to stand on the Word of God. I bind the spirit of fear in Jesus Name. We are over comers!
Blessings and peace be unto you.
LaDonna
(C) Copyright 2020 LaDonna M Damon
What a blessing!! I enjoyed reading it!