Are You Like an Olive Tree?

Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane
Israel

Prayer – Lord, I trust You—the creator of trees that can be used to build bridges. I praise You forever. Show me the way to go…Your way. Continue to build within me a strong foundation…a strong relationship—with You.

But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God's unfailing love. I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people. Psalm 52:8-9

 

Meditate. Praise God.

 

Olive trees aren’t tall trees like the pine trees we see in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest…or the towering redwood trees in California. Those can be very old and very tall trees. The olive trees I saw in the Garden of Gethsemane were thought to be a thousand years old—similar to the   two- or three-thousand-year-old redwoods—but they were not as tall. And the olive trees never will be any taller.

 

Simple Wooden Bridge
Japanese Gardens
Spokane, Washington

Will any of us as adults ever get taller? Like the ancient olive trees, we’ve stopped growing physically—but there is always room for spiritual growth. How are we going to do that? With God’s wisdom, strength, mercy, love and His help we can grow closer to Him. God gave His Son—as a sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. That was the beginning of renewing a relationship with all of mankind, like planting a new tree—to use in building a bridge. More importantly, this gift of salvation from God comes with no strings attached. Free. We just have the option of accepting it. Do you accept gifts from other people? Why not accept this gift from God? Then you can be like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. Personally, I will always trust in God's unfailing love. I will praise Him forever, because of what He has done. I will trust in His good name in the presence of His faithful people. Would you consider yourself part of the group of His faithful people? Are you like an olive tree?

Verses of Salvation ~ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Olives are amazing fruit. They are packed with vitamin E and other antioxidants, which are known to be healthy for skin, bones, the circulatory system, and the brain. It has been shown to even reduce the risk of breast cancer.  

 

Stones used to crush and press
olives for olive oil.
Israel

Olives come in several varieties and their color may simply depend on their ripeness. Black olives are ripe, whereas green ones are just that, green. The brown ones, my favorite, are kalamata, which are often served with Greek food. Olive oil is best when it is freshly pressed and the first pressing has the most beneficial nutrients. Olive oil is among the healthiest oil you can make or buy and can be used in many cooking and baking recipes. You can even use it sparingly as a moisturizer for your sin. It is a versatile and healthy food. A healthy fat. Eat some today!

 

© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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