the mighty oak

how blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. (psalm 1:1-3 nasb)

trees, in their own special way, are quite beautiful. imagine hiking through the appalachians with nothing around you but rocks and moss. it would be so barren and lifeless. trees are an emblem of strength, of life, of perseverance. when i truly stop to consider my heart, i desire to be a tree. a tree that has withstood the storms of life. a tree that people would run to when the winds come their way. a tree planted firmly in the Soil that gives me life.

the wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. (psalm 1:4 nasb)

in case you're not up on your agricultural lingo, chaff is the dry, inedible covering around grains. the whole "wind driving the chaff away" business comes from the process of winnowing the grain. the grain is tossed into the air and the wind carries off the lighter chaff, as the heavier grain falls back down. kudos to wikipedia for being so smart.

obviously, being worthless chaff is not something most people would aspire to be. but people are impatient, selfish creatures. we want to be cool. we want to be popular. we want to be tall and strong. we want to be trees. . . now. but trees don't work like that. if an acorn and a seed of grain were planted at the same time, the acorn would shoot up very quickly and become a mighty oak tree in a matter of weeks. no, maybe i have that mixed up.

chaff sprouts up almost immediately. these are the cool kids. they are the rulers of their tiny worlds. most of them won't be remembered past graduation.

guard yourself against the seduction of instant fame and popularity. have confidence in God's unending love for you. let your life speak for itself. ask God to stir up a true passion and yearning for Him. delight in the law of the Lord. live your life quietly and confidently for God's glory.

don't be afraid to be average.

stand firm in the faith,
coupe