The Wisdom of the Olive Tree pt 2
Now we may ask, how did this tree gain such wisdom? It may be summed up in one word, grace. If every man was given grace as he deserved, his reservoir would be depleted beyond empty. But our grace is not based on merit, yet rather it is based on the promise to every believer, that God who starts a work in them, shall see it to the end, Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. What work would salvation be if the very God who gave you freely a pardon from sin, did not also freely give you a progression out of it? Surely some may marvel at spiritual giants in our life, and well so, wondering how they became as this wise olive tree, so deeply rooted. We may sum up their progression in one word as well, grace. Every man must be taken from a spiritual baby, to a spiritual child, to a spiritual adult, and finally, to spiritual fatherhood. And this is where we so deeply desire to be. The same God who granted increase to this tree will grant it to you as well.
Consider now how the water feeds the olive tree; how much has God poured out his blessing
which spurred our growth? It is immeasurable. Now think of the many droughts seen by this olive tree. It is interesting, that upon drought, the tree will no longer grow up visibly, yet underground it sends its own roots deeper. This is because moisture may be found deeper in the soil, where the sun has not yet penetrated. If we lacked times of trouble we should never be so diligent to dig our roots deeper past the shallow things of the Word so that we may find the deeper treasures of it. This is all done by perfect grace. Think of the storms over many years seen by this tree. Winds are harsh, yet the turmoil itself stimulates growth in the roots which anchor them even deeper. Let the storm pass and we find saturation in the ground in which the tree can recover from the wind and fury of the clouds. So is it with our souls. By grace God shall allow wind to test our resolve, and then He quickly sends the rain of His nourishment for our own recovery. This is all done by grace. So be of good cheer today my brother or sister in Christ. Salvation is of the Lord! It is not our business to bring about growth, but increase belongs to God. Let Him have His way with you, yield to His dealings within; and soon you shall find your self stable and wise, as the olive tree.
Wise Application
It is good to cooperate with God and not resist Him if we are His children. As He molds us into the image of God, if we are compliant, we are blessed. If we are resistant and rebellious, we are chastised as children in whom God wished to delight. Though grace is wholly a work of God, we are commanded to yield to the word of God and to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives
