He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8

Leafy

These recent thunderstorms with their heavy rain and strong winds have taken down a lot of branches from our trees. One leafy, healthy branch fell across our driveway in the night. The next morning, as we were heading out, while my husband was out of the car moving the branch from our path, I looked up into the crown of the tree and saw several dead limbs still intact. How odd. Why wouldn't the dead limbs be torn from the tree in the storm instead of this healthy one, I wondered. And then I realized. More resistance.

 The healthier and leafier a branch, the more surface area there is for the wind and rain to press against.

 The same is true of us. The healthier and "leafier" we are in our walk with the Lord, in holiness, in service, in outspokenness about our faith, the greater resistance we'll meet, not only from the Accuser and Enemy of our souls, but also from people. This happened to the Apostle Paul at the height of his ministry:

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. (Acts 21: 27- 29)

They "supposed." They didn't know, but they supposed, and then they embellished that supposition, and by doing so with such zeal (which often masquerades as truth), they were able to incite the crowd-turned-mob against Paul. Mobs don't think. Mobs don't ask questions. They just act.

 We can be horrified by what must have been a terrifying situation for Paul and Trophimus to be in, but we shouldn't be surprised by the resistance. Paul was one leafy Christian!

 The Enemy of our souls comes against us in other, craftier ways: self-doubt, temptation in areas of our greatest weaknesses, self-indulgence, shame, feeling unforgiven, etc. The list goes on and on.

[Solomon]had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. (I Kings 11: 3 - 6)

It's easy to see Solomon's weakness, but it's not Solomon I want to dwell on here; it's David. When I read "[Solomon's] heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father" and "[Solomon] did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done," I thought, wait, wholly? What? But what about David's sin with Bathsheba and his sin of having her husband, Uriah, murdered so he could have her for himself? What do you mean David wholly followed the Lord? And then I realized. This is what true repentance does. This is what God's forgiveness looks like. It's as if David's sin never happened. Yes, there were inescapable consequences that David suffered in his lifetime, but as far as his lifetime record of service, in the eyes of God, it's as if those sins never happened. David's record is clean and whole. How awesome is that?!

 And so, leafy believer, hang on! You can expect the storms of life to buffet you, but hang on. You can expect the Accuser to accuse, but don't let the lies people tell about you, or the lies the Enemy whispers to you, telling you you aren't enough and never will be, tear you away. If you're living a holy life and meeting resistance, count that as a good thing. You must be doing something, or maybe even a lot of things, right. Hang in there! Hold on.

Daye Phillippo

July 2021