OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ~

“…They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”  Isaiah 61:3

Did you ever think of yourself as an “Oak tree?”   Well, God always sees us differently than the way we see ourselves.  He sees what we shall be.  If you remember Gideon in the book of Judges, God called him a mighty warrior (Judges 6:12), yet Gideon claimed to be from the weakest clan in Manasseh; further he saw himself as the weakest in his family.  As Gideon put his trust in God, his strength to overcome the enemy was realized.  Even in your weakness, God sees strength and endurance as an oak tree within you.  Aren’t you glad the Lord sees you and me for what we can be? 

The above scripture has long been a favorite of mine and I have prayed it often over my children.  If you are in Christ, planted in his salvation, then the Lord sees you as one who is RIGHTEOUS, meaning one who has the character of Christ, the RIGHTEOUS ONE.

As a mother, I have had the wonderful privilege of receiving many dandelions from my children.  Even though I would quickly put the flower in water, it was only a matter of time when the beauty began to fade and the dandelion wilted and died.  Had that flower remained where it had been planted, it would have displayed it’s splendor for it’s specified season. 

The only way you and I will display something beautiful from our lives is if we remain in Christ all of our days.  We can be as the oak tree which is known for it’s strength and endurance.  Even as we face the storms of life, we will remain resilient because of who we serve and because his spirit is in us strengthening and encouraging us to go on; because we are His garden that He tends.

Just like a seed planted in the soil comes to fruition with rain and sunshine, so shall we who are planted in Jesus. We are strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph.6:10).  He calls us, values us, equips us, manifests Himself through us dwelling within us forever and ever for we are His, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor!