Devotional with a Tree

I headed out behind our lake house to the shore along which are quite a few pine trees of some sort to choose a tree upon which to meditate. I noticed one tree with some flat rocks right beside it where I could sit. I brought a towel to put on the ground, so I put it down on one of the rocks and sat down.

I asked God about the roots of this tree and felt as if it has one large, deep tap root going down to the source of water below ground with many other roots, like capillaries, fanning out around the tree, but the one tap root is the most critical. This is true of my life, as well. I have many smaller roots going into important aspects of life, but my tap root is the one that goes into the water of Life, my Lord Jesus Christ. That is the most critical!

What touched me most was seeing the holes where some of the branches are broken off. I imagined the heavy weight of snow in winter and the pressure from heavy winds stressing the bond between the limbs and the trunk until they gave way. It was interesting to see the fresher holes and compare them to the older holes which have healed over. It was very obvious to tell the difference. I prayed for God to both hold onto those limbs in my life which need to stay connected and to allow the branches which need to be stripped away to break off. I feel a quiet trust that the holes left by those branches which he removes will heal well.

As I rose from the towel covering the rock, I felt a sticky sensation between my workout pants and the towel. I will never forget this devotioanl due to the fact that sap dripped onto the towel between the time I laid it on the rock and when I sat down! My tree prepared that parting gift for me before the spiritual work was done. Isn’t that just like God’s preparation of the gift of salvation before I was even born?

My professor in my current course of my master’s degree pointed out the following: Sap is sometimes called the blood of a tree because it circulates inside a tree, carrying nutrients and water throughout the tree. The sap is basically a nutrient transport system inside the tree; a tree would die if sap didn’t circulate inside it. Tree sap not only benefits the tree, but it also benefits people. Tree sap is extracted and used to make maple syrup, latex, resins, hair removal and other products. Tree sap is sometimes added to natural soaps and bath care products due to its nutrient contents. The sap also helps to hold things together.

I’m glad that God reveals aspects of his nature through his creation. This devotional exercise was deeper than I thought possible!

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