Read: Jeremiah 17: 5-8
Verse: “...Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes...”
- Jeremiah 17:7-8(ESV)
My husband and I recently traveled to Tuscany, France where we visited a family-owned olive orchard. After touring the farm, the proprietor took us to a hill overlooking the olive groves. There were thousands of olive trees, spread out over hundreds of acres.
The owner then gave us an interesting lesson on olive trees. The Olea europaea is an especially hardy evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean. It can flourish in some of the poorest soil conditions and temperatures and can live for hundreds of years.
This particular grove dated back to the 1800’s, when the owner's ancestors planted a few dozen saplings brought over from Greece. In December of 1903, a massive brushfire destroyed most of the outbuildings and nearly all the olive trees. Or so it was thought. The following spring they were surprised to find olive shoots sprouting from the charred stumps.
“The roots of an olive tree,” the owner explained, “are especially hardy. As long as its roots are embedded firmly in the ground, a mature tree can survive all kinds of severe conditions, even fire.”
Like the olive tree, if we safeguard our hearts and keep our "roots" grounded in Christ and His word, we will survive those times when adverse conditions come our way. If we stay grounded in the Lord, His word tells us we can withstand any storm, any challenge. Even fire.
Prayer: Lord, keep me grounded in You, and firmly embedded in Your word, so my life will be seen as a tree planted by water and a testament to Your grace.