The Trunk of the Tree

What can we learn from a tree? A lot when it's a tree of life.

When I was a little boy, around age 7 to age 9, I loved to climb up into a large oak tree in our side yard behind the victory garden (World War II) and see how far up I could climb before the tree branches got too small. I would sit up in that tree and look around and feel like the king of the world.

I liked to carve my initials in this tree as high as I could climb and reach so everyone who climbed up there in the future would know I was up that high.

I never climbed out onto the thin twiggy limbs because I knew those little branches could not support me. If I dared to climb onto them, they would very likely break and I would fall out of the tree and get severely hurt.

Once or twice I was up in the tree and a strong wind would blow through and I would hang on to the trunk of that tree with all my might until the wind would die down.

Perhaps many of you reading this article have done the same as a child.

Do you know that God's way of life is very much like climbing up into a large sturdy oak tree? And just as the oak trees I used to climb as a young boy were safest when I was holding on to the trunk, we are also the safest when we are holding on to the trunk of the tree—the tree of life—and God's way of life.

Let's take a look at the trunk of the tree and understand what God means when He tells us to "lay hold on eternal life" and the very trunk of the tree so we will always stay out of the twigs that can take up our precious time and lead us into areas where we could fall out and get severely hurt (1 Timothy 6:12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
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We will see that a strong, sturdy tree is a representation of something that God wants each one of us to become—like a strong, sturdy oak tree that is healthy and not cluttered with a lot of twigs and weak branches.

It's interesting to note that there are many references to trees in the Bible as examples of security, safety and good spiritual health.

Psalm 1 is a good example of a strong, sturdy tree representing a person of God that is on the right track and on the straight and narrow road that leads to eternal life. "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper" (Psalm 1:3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
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In this psalm we receive many clues regarding the makeup of a sturdy, healthy tree. This tree is healthy because it has been planted in a good area to receive the proper nourishment it needs to withstand the adverse conditions it may encounter during its life. It's planted by channels of water so it can thrive from the minerals and moisture it needs from this close water source.

We too must be nourished daily and renewed spiritually daily by the living waters of God's Holy Spirit. We must remain close to God and Jesus Christ, the source of this nourishment in order to maintain a constant flow of the Holy Spirit day and night. "He who believes in Me as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
See All...). And in 2 Corinthians 4:16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
See All... it says, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."

Just what makes up the trunk of the tree—in this case the trunk of the tree of life? Here are four of the fibers that make up this trunk for you to consider.

Trusting in God Always

One of the first fibers of the trunk of this tree is the fiber of trusting in God always and for everything. One of the character traits that made David "a man after God's own heart" was his faithful trust in God.

Look at Jeremiah 17:7-8 [7] Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
[8] For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

See All...: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is in the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit."

When we trust God with our whole heart, we have already become close to God through daily prayer, Bible study, meditation and regular fasting. We have grown to know and understand His love and power and we are yielded to Him and we cast all our cares on Him daily (1 Peter 5:6-7 [6] Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
[7] Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

See All...). Then God can bless and guide us in His ways so we can prosper according to His will for us.

When we grow to trust God, we are totally dependent on Him for everything (Psalm 18:1-3 [1] (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,) I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
[2] The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
[3] I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

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Godly Wisdom

A second important fiber in this tree's trunk is wisdom. This godly wisdom comes from God to us through His Holy Spirit when we recognize that we desperately need it. It comes to us when we ask Him for it so we can better serve others as well as ourselves.

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom...She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her" (Proverbs 3:13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
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Wisdom can also diminish and leave us, as in the case of Solomon. When Solomon was small in his own eyes, he prayed for wisdom to enable him to serve God's people and to advise them properly (1 Kings 3:1-15 [1] And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
[2] Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
[3] And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
[4] And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
[5] In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
[6] And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
[7] And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
[8] And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
[9] Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
[10] And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.
[11] And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
[12] Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
[13] And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
[14] And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
[15] And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

See All...). Later in Solomon's life, when he became too big in his own eyes, some of the wisdom God gave him left and he went after other gods and consorted with his 300 wives and 700 concubines.

God's Commandments

Understanding and keeping God's Commandments makes up another huge portion of the fiber in the trunk of this tree. Proverbs 11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
See All... says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise" (compare Psalm 119:172My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
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When we are consistently striving daily to keep God's Commandments, we grow in bearing the fruit of God's Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

See All.... Our personal examples then shine as lights in this world of darkness, not in a self-righteous way, but in a humble, godly way of never compromising with God's way of life and of not conforming to this world's ways.

A Wholesome Tongue

Another important fiber in the trunk of this tree is a clean, truthful and wholesome tongue. "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit" (Proverbs 15:4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
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When we are clinging to the trunk of the tree of life, our words are clean and pure, not corrupt and filthy. We do not spread rumors, true or otherwise, we do not gossip, and we do not lie (James 3:1-12 [1] My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
[2] For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
[3] Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
[4] Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
[5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
[6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
[7] For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
[8] But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
[9] Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
[10] Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
[11] Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
[12] Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

See All...). We strive daily to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
See All...). We make sure we obtain the facts and both sides of a story before we make a judgment or determine a course of action (Proverbs 18:13He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
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These are just some of the main materials that make up the trunk of the tree. Let's stay out of the twigs and let's always cling to the trunk of God's tree where it's safe, so we never fall out and get hurt or lose our life. UN