The Trees of Autumn

Coming soon to your neighborhood are the trees that will be losing foliage, bearing witness to the fact that summer is ending, and a new season is about to overtake us.  However, it is true that Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year.  How amazing it is to watch that which has been green for so long transition into colors—red, yellow, brown, and orange.  Only God can do this!

Trees are God’s idea. Lessons can be learned from these thoughtful creations.  When God made the Garden of Eden, at the
center of it were trees—Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.  The tree was the determining factor as to whether man would live or die, reside or be dismissed.

Even today, the tree is extremely valuable to man’s existence in the sociological strata. Mature trees add an average of 10% to a property’s value.  Nationally there are 60 million street trees having an average value of $525 per tree. These planted trees cool the air, reduce pollution, and absorb storm-water runoff resulting in less erosion.  Property values are 7% to 25% higher for
homes surrounded by trees.  One amazing statistic is hospital patients who can see trees out their windows are hospitalized on an average of 8% fewer days.

The tree would become the threefold embodiment of the discourse of Jesus and His description of the world, that being, the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the eyes (pleasant to the eyes), and the pride of life (desired to make one wise).

The tree was important to Israel in the removing of the bitterness tasted in their journey.  In Judges it is styled as the anointing.  The Lover of the Song of Solomon is seen as a tree.  Christ’s redemption for us was via a tree. The blessed man of Psalms is viewed as a tree planted.

Jesus communicated much truth by directing one’s thoughts to the tree–the good tree, the corrupt tree, the cursed tree, the tree with leaves only but having no fruit, the fig tree, the green tree, the dry tree, the great tree, the sycamine tree (faith), the sycamore tree (salvation), Nathanael under the tree (ministry), and men as trees (the blind man). Trees were vital to His message!

In my final observation, I would like to also offer the hope that lies therein.  Job declares:

There is hope for a tree when it is cut down. It will sprout again. Its shoots will not stop sprouting. If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil, merely a scent of water will make it sprout and grow branches like a plant.

Job likened himself to a tree who had been cut down.  But his end was far greater than his beginning.  And this is the hope that the tree also offers you today, my friend.  He further asks—“If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”

No one says, “I sure hope that I come through “this” if there is no “this” to come through.  Yes, my friend, you will survive!  Just hang in there until things change.  As you look out over the landscape of life, there is testimony being given you that things are going to get better!