One of the awesome sights in God’s creation, in the
colorful northern hemisphere fall season, is the mighty oak tree, with its
beautiful golden brown, orange and deep red foliage. Especially the one that is
standing tall, with over 50 years of branches, leaves, acorns, and a root
system below, typically larger than the tree you actually see above ground.
Standing tall, providing much for many, the mighty oak tree
is one that will inspire joy for the human spirit. A grateful soul will
acknowledge the Lord’s goodness shone about us.
I found this interesting bit of documentation on these displays
of the Lord’s glory, that of oak trees.
Oak trees can live 200 or more years. The
largest oak tree on record was in Maryland's eastern shore in the U.S.A. It is
believed to be more than 400 years old, and it measures 32 feet in circumference.
It is 105 feet tall with a crown spread of 158 feet till high winds blew it
over a few years ago.
There is one in Lewisburg, Mandeville, Louisiana
reputed to be 37 feet and 2 inches in circumference. It is estimated that it is
more than 1,000 years old!
Then we have the major oak at Sherwood Forest,
Nottingham in the UK. It is the actual tree Robin Hood is said to have hidden
in while escaping the Sheriff of Nottingham if you have heard the legend. It is
estimated to be 10000 year old. (Yahoo! Answers)
If I was to be a tree, I would want to be an oak. Being it
is a very hard wood species, it is great for making a home beautiful, used for living
room flooring and wall/ceiling trim. During the cold winter season, the blaze
of oak logs in a roaring fireplace delights one’s sight and heart.
The oak, having many varieties, will stand strong against
tough winds that may come against it, as it towers over the landscape, giving
life to birds nesting its branches, and cool shade to livestock grazing beneath.
Because it lives a long time, it usually takes at least 20
years to grow to maturity. It is not an overnight sensation. Nor is it here one
year and gone another. The mighty oak is one you can count on to be there, when
you need it to be there.
In Isaiah 61, the Lord speaks of those who will be called oaks of righteousness, because of the
character they possess within, and the strength given to them by the Lord God
of Israel. They will be the ones planted by the Lord Himself. They will be the
one glorify His Great Name.
These oaks of righteousness will rebuild the ancient ruins,
raise up the devastations all about, and repair ruined cities. Much of what has
been desolated after generations of lies and unrighteousness will be part of
their restorative mission. You can believe that those of the oak mindset will
be the ones many will look to in and during times of trouble that are coming
upon the earth, especially in these end of days.
“The
Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring
good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the
favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all
who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of
ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of
a spirit of fainting.
So
they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He
may be glorified.
Then
they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former
devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many
generations. Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, and foreigners will
be your farmers and your vinedressers. But you will be called the priests of
the Lord; you will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the
wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
Instead
of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they
will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double
portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs.
For I,
the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will
faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with
them.
Then
their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the
midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the
offspring whom the Lord has blessed.
I will
rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed
me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself
with her jewels.
For as
the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in
it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring
up before all the nations. (Isaiah 61, NASU)
Those who
know the Lord, the Mighty One, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the great God of
Israel, have been raised up to be His oaks of righteousness. We are ready,
awaiting His command to go. For many of us, we have endured the decades of
training, the painful years of character building, the rejection and ridicule
that have brought others down.
We are now fully equipped with His spiritual
gifts and weapons of war, knowing how to use them at the proper time, and with
full skill and ability.
We
have already withstood the gates of hell many times, the gale winds of
deception blowing hard in the nations, and the rampant evil that seeks to
overtake the generation following behind us.
We are
now available to show them the way, side by side, together battling the demons
of destruction and the hordes of evil.
The
mighty oaks of righteousness, empowered with the awesome fire of the Holy
Spirit, have been prepared. We can say, “Bring it on Lord. We are standing with
You and will fight to the death, upholding the eternal Word you have placed in
our hearts.”
We are
among those who have believed the beginning words of His eternal written Word,
and have read the end of the book.
We are
ready!
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