Job 19:23-27
Cottonwood trees are fast growing, huge leafy trees that provide a large shade canopy for any thing underneath them. The wood of a cottonwood tree will dry back to almost a yellow, while the brown bark is two to three inches or more thick. I remember learning how to take a piece of this soft outer shell of this tree and along with a simple pocket knife make boats, airplanes or even animals. Being a soft wood, a fallen cottonwood tree, along with its thick bark, would rapidly decompose. I learned to gather multiple pieces of this bark and let them dry so I could use them in the future. I remember many times sitting behind the house, creating my new greatest toy to play with or perhaps even send to Grandparents as a gift. However, never once did I hear the bark of that tree scream out or complain about being cut with a knife. Never once did I feel resistance from the bark as I finished shaping it with sandpaper. As the maker I was in charge and I was the one that was revealing something useful and beautiful out of something that was rough and unpresentable.
Have you ever thought why we as people are not more like cottonwood tree bark? I mean the bark silently bears the carvers shaping without complaint, yet we as people complain loudly when God reshapes our lives. God has His way of looking at our lives and seeing the potential with His gentle touch and skillful shaping. He redeems what was formerly not very beautiful and shapes it through a life long process into what is beautiful. In the book of Job we see a man who lost everything in life proclaim his confident trust in God who is his redeemer. Job says, “I know that my redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). Job knew that God would some how, in some way redeem the mess of his present life for His honor and purpose. God is doing that in in your life and mine. Trust Him to start the work and trust Him to complete the work…and try not to scream about it.
Cottonwood trees are fast growing, huge leafy trees that provide a large shade canopy for any thing underneath them. The wood of a cottonwood tree will dry back to almost a yellow, while the brown bark is two to three inches or more thick. I remember learning how to take a piece of this soft outer shell of this tree and along with a simple pocket knife make boats, airplanes or even animals. Being a soft wood, a fallen cottonwood tree, along with its thick bark, would rapidly decompose. I learned to gather multiple pieces of this bark and let them dry so I could use them in the future. I remember many times sitting behind the house, creating my new greatest toy to play with or perhaps even send to Grandparents as a gift. However, never once did I hear the bark of that tree scream out or complain about being cut with a knife. Never once did I feel resistance from the bark as I finished shaping it with sandpaper. As the maker I was in charge and I was the one that was revealing something useful and beautiful out of something that was rough and unpresentable.
Have you ever thought why we as people are not more like cottonwood tree bark? I mean the bark silently bears the carvers shaping without complaint, yet we as people complain loudly when God reshapes our lives. God has His way of looking at our lives and seeing the potential with His gentle touch and skillful shaping. He redeems what was formerly not very beautiful and shapes it through a life long process into what is beautiful. In the book of Job we see a man who lost everything in life proclaim his confident trust in God who is his redeemer. Job says, “I know that my redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). Job knew that God would some how, in some way redeem the mess of his present life for His honor and purpose. God is doing that in in your life and mine. Trust Him to start the work and trust Him to complete the work…and try not to scream about it.
RSS Feed