The Parable of the Tree

After decades of living in dry, barren or desert places, we love our wooded lot. But we had no idea of the dangers of dead trees. 

Taking a walk around the house (the extent of our travels this year!), we spotted several dead trees. Afraid of the damage they’d do if they fell on our house, we called a tree guy. He identified five dead trees that needed to be cut down. So, we set a date for his team to remove the potential threats. 

The week before the arranged date, the weather channel and our neighbors told us to prepare for hurricane Zeta. But how bad could it be this far from the coast? Just to be sure, we moved our car into the garage for safe keeping and we went to sleep. 

At five o’clock in the morning my husband heard – and felt – a thud. A fifty-foot-tall tree had fallen across our garage, caving in the roof, the supporting beams, the ceiling, and the garage door, which all caused damage to our poor little car under it all.

The weird thing was that the tree that fell was not one of the dead trees that had been marked as a threat. We could not understand why this one took the hit while the dead trees stood firm … until we looked inside.

On the outside, the enormous tree was alive and green. But taking a close look inside the broken tree trunk, there was evidence of the destructive forces of worms and insects that had been at work for some time, softening the wood, eating out the core, turning the once strong tree into dust. One strong gust of wind and down it went. 

Outward signs are not always true indicators of the inner state of our souls, our families, or the body of Christ. Small things creep in that, over time, eat away at our true identity in Christ, destroy the fruits of the Spirit, chip away at our relationships, soften our commitment to obedience to God’s Word, and crumble our faith and our courage. 

But we don’t need to wait for a storm to expose us. At our invitation, the One who tends our souls always stands ready to lovingly reveal those small things that have the power to create great destruction. James put it this way: “So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.” (James 4:21, The Message). It’s for his glory. And our joy.

Key Quotation

On the outside, the enormous tree was alive and green. But taking a close look inside the broken tree trunk, there was evidence of the destructive forces of worms and insects that had been at work for some time, softening the wood, eating out the core, turning the once strong tree into dust. One strong gust of wind and down it went. 

Question

What small destructive forces are at work that may be eroding your character, your relationships, or your allegiance to Christ? Where do you need to invite the Gardener in to restore life and health so that you are not exposed in a storm?

Becky Stephen, TMS Global