There are many cemeteries across the face of the earth, and within most, trees have been planted.  These planted trees exist for generations of visitors, provide shade for the hot visitation days, and give comfort to the weary.

When we were children, my parents accepted the monthly job of mowing a large cemetery, and this task was accepted as a family affair.

We rode together in dad’s off-white Ford pick-up, all six of us squished together in the single-cab space.  Yes, this was the days BEFORE seatbelts.  The drive from our home to the cemetery was brief, even when the preparation to “go mow” was not.  There were LawnBoy push mowers to service (dad’s task); there were snacks to create (mom’s task); there were items to load into the truck bed (our task); and then there was our little sister.  Her task and her reason for attending the monthly mowing trips was to play—to ride her three-wheeler back and forth on the blacktop path that snaked through the center of the cemetery.  Significant to the centermost spot, the place we spread our picnic blanket, and parked our truck was the large shade tree.

• God’s trees are planted trees.
• God’s trees are not wild-grown trees.

His trees are firmly planted in the good soil, sustained by the refreshing spring water, nurturing and growing them into fruit-bearing trees.

God’s trees are His redeemed ones.

Just as in the days of my youth, when our parents signaled that it was time to rest, time to cease in our push-mowing, each one of us would push our mower back toward the tree, where dad had parked the truck, where mom had spread the blanket, and where our little sister had remained close, playing.  We each new that underneath this massive shade tree, we would receive rest, nourishment, and water to quench our thirst.

As believers in Jesus, as His followers, we must realize—What we do each day becomes our way of sharing in God’s work in the world.  We are to participate in this work, while we are alive and while we live within this broken world.  Then when our Father signals that it’s time to rest, time to come home to heaven, we will celebrate all the LORD has done, all He has provided us found in the Messiah’s salvation.

The LORD’S prophet Isaiah was called to proclaim the goodness of God to an afflicted world of people.

Our Father has created us and placed us in the world exactly where He desires for us to live, to be born.  He has gifted us with families to nurture and leads us to become the people we are to be.  As we grow, our Father’s Spirit has pricked our innermost being, causing us to seek Him.  Then, as we come to accept His only Son as our Savior, His Holy Spirit blooms within us, producing the fruit of His righteousness.

This all begins with the planting of God’s trees, not wild-grown trees, but His trees firmly planted in the good soil of His Amazing Grace: sustained by the refreshing living spring water of His Salvation & nurtured to become God’s fruit-bearing trees.

God’s trees are His redeemed ones.

“So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (The Book of Isaiah 61: 3b NAS)

Therefore, just as in the days of my youth, my earthly dad did not allow us to lay all day underneath the shade of the tree, not while there was work to be done.  However, just as our heavenly Father, my dad always worked alongside us children, not sending us out to work, but going with us, working alongside us, leading us in the work we were to do.

Whenever we drove to mow the cemetery, I always knew:

• This was a family affair.
• The work would be shared.
• The refreshing rest would be so sweet. &
• My eyes could always see my earthly dad at work—right there beside us.

May we, God’s redeemed ones, be “like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.”

May we, God’s children work for Him in the place He has planted us, “Which yields its fruit in its season.”

May we, the followers of Jesus, bear “its leaf [that] does not wither.”

May we, the saved ones, constantly remember how whatever the Lord leads us to do, souls will be reached, individuals will be led to the Lord, and lives will be changed.

“And in whatever he does, he prospers.” (The Psalms 1: 3b NAS)

And may we, God’s planted trees, be: