A buggy ride with my father…

Psalm 1:1-3

Oh, the joys of those who do not
      follow the advice of the wicked,
      or stand around with sinners,
      or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
      meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
      bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
      and they prosper in all they do.

One afternoon as my father cleared away winter’s tornado of fallen branches and debris he took notice of a few trees near the creek bank.  Behind my parent’s house runs a smaller creek which houses some of God’s wild life.  Each spring beavers return to start building their new home yet this year, they’ve set their goals high.  As we set our goals, chose our Scripture verse and “one word” for 2011 it appears, so did the beavers.  Set goals, that is.  They’ve set them high this year.  It is common for Dad to notice the work of beavers along the creek yet what he saw this year, caused him to shut the motor off and peer in amazement at the tasks they set to accomplish. 

Generally they target the smaller trees but this year…they aimed wide and tall.  Maybe their verse for 2011 is “…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” from Ephesians 3.  Look at the first picture again.  Do you see the work of these mighty creatures?  Across the creek if you look carefully into the depths of the trees you will notice two trees with beaver markings surrounding their base.  Now look up.  Do you see how tall these trees are?  After a little research I learned the size of the tree targeted depends on the size of the beaver. Hmm…watch out dad.

Now I want you to look at the trees and the beavers a little differently.  Consider the verse from Psalm 1.  The trees standing erect strive towards the Son each day yet are plagued with constant gnawing and turmoil.  When we take our eyes off Jesus and choose a life of sin, we will be gnawed at and brought to our knees.  We all have a choice to make.  Do we want to strive to be like Jesus with Him in us and with us through every circumstance life might bring?  Or do we want to throw in the towel and just let the beavers gnaw at us daily until we fall?  The hope is this…as the tree lands swiftly and hard to the ground, no one will be there to catch it or save it.  Its life lost.  Yet as humans, when we fall to our knees because we can’t stand on our own anymore, God is right there to hold us in his arms and lift us up.  We need only ask…

Psalm 1:4-6

But not the wicked!
      They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
      Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
      but the path of the wicked leads to destruction