There was a special Gardener known for His love and caring of the forest. He was known for the gentle hands He used to tend to the trees. They were scarred by the nails of angry, hate filled people who nailed him to a tree in His beloved forest.
He had many specially chosen places in the forest. They were holy, set apart for His special ones, His chosen ones, the ones who bring His Words of love and hope and life. He prepared the soil, He nourished it and watered it with a special living water, placed a seed and covered it. Wild animals came and tried to dig it up, for they knew that the seed the gardener planted would only produce the strongest, most magnificent trees bearing fruit that could not be destroyed. When the ‘wild ones’ appeared it was as if there was an invisible force placed around His seed, an angelic force sent to protect it.
The seed had life and began to grow. It held the heart of the Gardener within and the potential to bring forth the most amazing tree that would declare His heart to the world. Its shoots pushed and pushed and pushed until they broke through from the darkness into the light. What joy the tree experienced in that place, feeling the warmth of the sun, feeling how special it was, made for the Master Gardener. A song rose within the heart of the tree. It was a song of worship to the one who had given it life. It so wanted the words of its song to be heard throughout the forest as those words came directly from heart of the Master Gardener.
As the words of the song echoed around the forest they fell on ears that didn’t like them and became angry that these words were penetrating their space. They felt that others would hear the sound and were afraid that this song of life would be picked up by them and released throughout the forest disturbing what tradition said a forest should be like. It may even invade the emptiness of the trees and fill them with a newness of life they had never known and a joy at growing they were yet to experience.
Knowing the emptiness in the hearts of the other trees, the little tree worshiped more and more, with a greater intensity, releasing words that it did not know for they were the words of the Master Gardener, ancient words that were prepared for this little one from before time had begun.
Anger erupted in the forest for there were other little trees that the Master had planted in the Holy ground and they also could not help but release the melody of words placed in them by the Master Gardener. Many made angry by the rise of the Master’s voice through His young trees, stormed like troopers on the small tree, trampling it to the ground and declaring that should take care of that.
The pain was excruciating! All hope seemed to be smash. Strength died in the attack. Why would something so encouraging, so beautiful, so full of love be torn to shreds? Leaves shattered, these were the leaves the Master was preparing for the healing of the nations. The pain remained excruciating. Where was the Master? Why didn’t He come? Where was He when I needed Him most? I don’t understand why do they hate me so much. It isn’t fair, it isn’t right, it isn’t just!
In the coolness of the evening, when the little tree had died to self and to the desire to retaliate, the Master came and the little tree felt the healing power of the love of the Master. His words were strange to the ears of the tree- ‘set yourself free from them by words of forgiveness then I can begin to bring healing and your growth will accelerate.” Something miraculous happened that day. When the Master couldn’t be seen, the tree still felt completely encased in the atmosphere of the Master’s love so that when it spoke the Master’s words, they came from that same atmosphere of love.
The tree grew quickly for it was watered by lifegiving words poured deep within its roots so that when storms came the roots held it firmly so nothing of what the master had placed within could be upended or destroyed.
The tree grew to full maturity. It looked at how strong its truck had grown and thanked the gardener for all His watering and nourishing. The nourishing came from His book. He would read it to the tree and the words were contained in it would lodge deep within the tree. They were so full of life and would excite the tree when He released them and saw the life they brought to all around it.
One day some forest workers came to the forest and looked at the tree with disgust. ‘You are different. You shouldn’t be here. You’re too big. You spoil the look of the forest. You have to go. You have no right to be here.’ With that there was heard a roar violently echoing throughout the forest. CHAINSAW! Fear grip the tree. Before it had even had a chance to see its true identity or the beauty the Master had grown in it or even the purpose for its existence, it was going to be mown down. It was going to die violently for such is the forces of evil that come against the Master’s purposes. The tree began to realise that if it didn’t happen then, it would eventually be taken out. The pain of being cut through would be hard enough but to feel the final destruction as it smashed in a million pieces, to the ground, would be, more than it could bear.
How wrong was the tree. The noise of the chainsaw roared louder as the closer it came. Whispering in his ear was the voice of the Master, the still small voice so calm and clear. With the most loving words in this dyer situation, the Master whispered- ‘Remember who you are. You are mine and I will never leave you or forsake you. My words will never return to me empty for they will always achieve my purposes when they are released by you.’ The tree was about to see another miracle brought about by its Mighty Master. As the chainsaw was about to engage with its trunk, there was, again, that unseen force at work, an angelic army stood round about. The chainsaw could not touch the tree but as those forest workers pulled it back from the truck it was making some very strange noises with the chain in pieces, irrepairable. Such is His care over those who would be His voice and His love bombs.
From then on the tree was very aware of the huge canopy of leaves growing from it. This was God’s mantle of protection and power over the assignment He had given it. A mantle of strength, protection, worship and healing. The tree found there were many just like it planted by the Master throughout the forest. The tree was to pass through many seasons. All of those beautiful green leaves were given away as healing and the air became cooler. Autumn came and the remaining leaves, changed colour and fell to the ground. It was a form of cleansing, nothing to be hidden. The remaining leaves brought joy to many because even in death there was the beauty of the Master’s creation for all to see. The winter comes when very little seems to be happening but so much preparation on the inside of the tree is happening. The Master whispers heart to heart during the cold blasters of winter air. Much is being built on the inside. The tree suddenly notices the new buds forming on the outside. What happened on the inside now manifests on the outside. Renewing of life and producing much fruit for the delight of the tree and the fulfilment of master’s heart for the tree. The Master’s voice is louder than ever from His trees. They know who they are and release His heart throughout the forest in beautiful waves of the most amazing worship to the Master gardener, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Margaret Wright
Psalm 1:3
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in season
And whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.”
Psalm 1:3 Passion Translation
“They will be standing firm
Like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design,
Deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,
Bearing fruit in every season of their lives.
They are never dry, never fainting,
Ever blessed, ever plentiful.
WHAT INDESCRIBABLE JOY!”