Parable of the Oak and the Willow

There were two trees planted in the same orchard, one an oak and the other a weeping willow. Each day the gardener watered the trees, fertilized them equally, and pruned their branches. Their beauty far surpassed that of any neighbor's trees.

The seasons began to change and winter skies loomed overhead. The oak quickly shed its leaves in response to the change in seasons. The willow, however, hung on to its leaves as long as it could, finally losing her lives to the bitter cold.

In the spring, new growth quickly appeared on the willow as if it couldn't wait to display its light green spring leaves. The oak, however, took its time to respond to the warm skies, not in any rush to awake from its wintry slumber, staring first with small buds on the branches, gradually growing into deep green leaves.

Soon spring led into the heat of summer. The gardener continued to water his trees, fertilizing and pruning them faithfully. The willow grew large and provided ample shade from the hot sun, spreading its roots wide as the gardener sat underneath. The oak also grew tall and strong; both trees towered over all the trees in the neighborhood.

One day a strong storm producing high winds blew through the garden. The gardener ran to the security provided him under the oak tree which stood tall and strong. Its branches moved with the gusts of the winds but refused to give way, to break, or to fall. It withstood the storm with confidence, providing the gardener the protection he needed from the storm.

The weeping willow, although it tried, failed to withstand the strong winds and it, along with its entire root system was plucked up by the wind and fell to the earth.

Consider the trees …

The oak tree plunged its roots deeply into the ground, seeking nourishment. As it reached for more nourishment, it grew until its roots were stretched so far downward that the tree above the ground was much smaller than its growth under the ground. This is a picture of a child of God who finds nourishment in the Word of God. Regardless of the season in life, regardless what comes its way, this one continues to reach for more, pressing past the dirt and the stones and anything that might prevent it from finding more nourishment. When the storms of life come, this one bends with the wind but never falls … his root system is mature and strong enough to withstand even the greatest storms.

The oak tree is the picture of one who finds satisfaction in the blessings of God—in His watering, His nurturing, and His pruning. This is a picture of the Christian who seeks God first and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), it is a picture of the one planted by the rivers of water whose leave does not wither and in whatsoever he does he prospers (Psalm 1:3). The oak tree is a picture of praise, of understanding the need for the Gardener's work in life; it is a picture of strength, of steadfastness, and of steady growth. The oak tree is a picture of understanding the seasons of life and allowing the summer and winter to have their perfect work without resisting change. This tree is not consumed with its own beauty, but desires to grow deep rather than delight in outward, visible growth. Thus, the oak tree will provide shelter and safety for others in the time of storm.

The willow tree, on the other hand, spread its roots quickly, but spread them outward rather than downward. It received its nourishment from the superficial watering, spreading its roots near the surface of the ground where it wouldn't lose sight of its own massive root system which nourished its beauty. Relishing in its own grace, its boughs bent in appearance of humility, but was unable to lift is boughs toward the sun. The visible part of the tree above the ground was much greater than its root system. When the winds and storms of life hit, its root system was unable to sustain it and it plummeted to the ground. This tree's beauty was in its appearance of "weeping" or false humility. It drew attention from onlookers because of its ability to gently sway in the breezes and provide shade. It was attractive by all rights, but it was a superficial attractiveness … there was nothing to sustain the tree.

The willow tree is a picture of one who finds satisfaction in the superficial pleasures of life—worldliness. It's also a picture of one who finds satisfaction in feelings and emotions. The things of this world—the superficial things will never sustain us during a storm. Our "tree" will inevitably fall as the roots cannot offer us the stability we need to protect us during the winds and storms of life.

The weeping willow was always the last tree to lose its leaves in the winter season … it was too vain to respond to the change in seasons. The willow depicts those who are more concerned with outward appearances of grace and humility without the depth of the root system to produce true and genuine grace and humility.

Message for us …

Be careful not to allow the things of this world to nourish your growth. Guard yourself against allowing your feelings and emotions and superficial appearances to give you a false sense of humility and stability. Rather, allow your root system to grow deep as it seeks out the nourishment found from the rivers of water flowing underground.

Psalm 1:3 … "And 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."

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Rabbis Call For Day of Prayer to Save Israel by Ezra HaLevi

The hareidi-religious Council of Torah Sages in Israel and the United States has issued a call for a day of prayer and fasting this Tuesday in response to the threats facing the Jewish people.

Addressed to "Our fellow Jews living in Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel) and to Jewish communities everywhere," the proclamation continues:

"The difficult situation of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisroel fills us with trepidation. Nobody knows what the new day will bring. In our sins, we see the fulfillment of the posuk [Biblical verse]

"Behold Your enemies are in uproar and those who hate You have raised their heads. Against Your nation they deviously plot, and take counsel against those whom You protect." Our eyes are lifted in prayer to the Creator, that all of the goings-on in the world turn out for the good.

"From both within and without the crisis mounts. The danger threatens both body and soul. During these days, items are on agendas that could place entire populations of Jews into grave danger, G-d forbid - including those in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Further, there are constant attempts to undermine the foundations of pure education [Hareidi-religious education without secular studies –ed.] in Eretz Yisroel and to cause harm to the holiness of the Nation of Israel. Therefore it is incumbent on us to fortify ourselves with Torah, prayer and good deeds, to awaken the mercy of Heaven.

"Dear brethren, awaken and inspire yourselves to pour out prayer before the Creator of the world, that He have pity and protect His nation from all who stand up against us, that He abolish the intentions of those who hate us and nullify the plots of our enemies, and that the eyes of the misguided be opened to the realization that their path is foolishness and they should leave Hashem's nation to guard its path and faith, without hindrance or interference.

We therefore call on members of Hashem's holy nation in all the places they reside, men, women and children, to gather in tefilla [prayer] on Tuesday, Erev Rosh Chodesh Adar Rishon, 5768, to recite chapters of Psalms and the liturgy of Yom Kippur Koton [the traditional minor day of repentance on the eve of every new Jewish month –ed.].

May Hashem hear our pleas, and turn His face to us so that we may be saved with a permanent salvation soon. And let us merit to see, quickly, the redemption of Yisroel, and gaze upon the building of the Beis HaMikdosh, quickly in our days, amen.

The proclomation is signed by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (the hareidi-religious Council of Torah Sages), and the hareidi political parties Agudas Yisroel (Chassidic) and Degel HaTorah ("Flag of Torah") – together the United Torah Judaism party. It was joined by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America.

(IsraelNN.com)

Parable of the Weeping Willow

There were two trees planted in the same orchard, one an oak and one a weeping willow. Each day the gardener watered both trees, fertilizing them equally, and pruned their branches. Their beauty far surpassed that of any neighbor's trees.

One day a strong storm with high winds blew through the garden. The oak stood tall and strong, its branches gently bending in the winds. The weeping willow, although it tried, failed to withstand the strong winds and it, along with its entire root system was plucked up as it fell to the earth.

What is the meaning of this parable?

The oak tree plunged its roots deeply into the ground, seeking nourishment. As it reached for more nourishment, it grew until its roots were stretched so far outward and downward that the tree above the ground was much smaller than the growth under the ground. This is a picture of a child of God who finds nourishment in the Word of God. Regardless of the season in life, regardless what comes its way, this one continues to reach for more, pressing past the dirt and the stones and anything that might prevent it from finding more nourishment. When the storms of life come, this one bends with the wind but never falls … his root system is mature and strong enough to withstand even the greatest storms.

The willow tree spread its roots quickly, but spread them outward rather than downward. It received its nourishment from the superficial watering, spreading its roots near the surface of the ground where it wouldn't lose sight of its own beauty. Relishing in its own grace, its boughs bent in appearance of humility, but was unable to lift is boughs toward the sun. The visible part of the tree above the ground was much greater than its root system. When the winds and storms of life hit, its root system was unable to sustain it and it plummeted to the ground. This tree's beauty was in its appearance of "weeping" or false humility. It drew attention from onlookers because of its ability to gently sway in the breezes and provide shade. It was attractive by all rights, but it was a superficial attractiveness … there was nothing to sustain the tree. This is a picture of one who finds satisfaction in the superficial pleasures of life—worldliness. It's also a picture of one who finds satisfaction in feelings and emotions. The things of this world—the superficial things will never sustain us during a storm. Our "tree" will inevitably fall as the roots cannot offer us the stability we need to protect us during the winds and storms of life.

The weeping willow was always the last tree to lose its leaves in the winter season … it was too vain to respond to the change in seasons. The oak, however, quickly responded to the change in seasons and used it to its advantage. While the willow still tried to maintain its outward appearance, the oak was outwardly dormant but underground it was growing deeper and stronger even in the winter season.

Be careful not to allow the things of this world to nourish your growth. Guard yourself against allowing your feelings and emotions to give you a false sense of humility and stability. Rather, allow your root system to grow deep as it seeks out the nourishment found from the rivers of water flowing underground.

Psalm 1:3 … "And 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."

Note: We are doing a study on Psalm 1 on our discussion board … please feel free to join us. http://p219.ezboard.com/fwomenofpassionsfrm1 Hope to see you there! J

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© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Pillow Talk

Some of the most intimate conversations we have with our spouses occur while we lay in bed, in a darkened room, quiet, and nestled in the warmth of the covers.  The children are asleep, the phone is done ringing for the day, the television is quieted, and the house is at peace. 

Intimacy in today's world is immediately equated with sex.  However, true intimacy can more easily be related to communion and communication with unguarded truthfulness.  More simply put, pillow talk!

The Father wants intimate moments with us, times of communion and communication with unguarded truthfulness.  He wants to hear from us our most private thoughts, our concerns, our joys, our fears, our victories, our praise, our disappointments, and our loving words of intimate worship.  Yet, we so thoughtlessly neglect this awesome privilege as we get caught up in our daily lives.

When was the last time you enjoyed "pillow talk" with the Father?  When was the last time you snuggled up close to him, nestled in the warmth of His presence, and shared the most private thoughts and intents of your heart?  Don't you think it's time for a good, intimate conversation with Him?

"I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me." (Song of Solomon 7:10) Yes, His desire is toward you!  Make time for your "pillow talk" now!  Don't wait till you're too tired to talk, don't wait till you're too tired to listen.  Intimacy with the Father is not an option, it's a privilege we dare not take for granted!

Father, I'm ready to spend some "intimate" time with you. But first, Lord, please forgive me for not desiring You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.  You ARE my First Love, You ARE the Lover of my Soul, You ARE the One I long for, You ARE all I need!  Father, put a hunger deep in my soul for intimacy with You; help me never to neglect our time together. Help me to realize just how much Your desire is toward me!  Father, I commit myself to You once more; I'm ready for "pillow talk" with You!  Amen!

"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (Jeremiah 31:3)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Precious Keys

Humility. Repentance. Restoration. The three keys to a clean heart and a right spirit. They, in turn, open the door to the joys of salvation.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."  (Psalm 51:10-12) The Psalmist understood what it meant to be drained of his joy.

Most Christians don't have to battle daily with temptation to commit pre-meditated "major" sins. But, the everyday "little sins" of omission can literally drain every ounce of joy right out of us before we know what has happened!

Take the time to examine your life when you feel drained of your joy; ask the Lord to reveal any sins of omission or commission which need to be dealt with. Then, apply these three keys:

Humility because one has to be humble before one can truly repent!

Repentance because without repentance there can be no restoration!

Restoration because the Psalmist gave us the perfect example: "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation . . ." When there is a lapse in our communion with the Lord due to sin, these steps need to be taken which lead to restoration of that broken relationship.

Make a habit of using these most precious keys! They have been given to you; they were bought for an unfathomable price and given to us to keep us pure and clean before a Holy God!

Father, I humble myself before You with a broken heart; I fall so short of Your glory in every area of my life. Lord, restore me through the cleansing Blood of Jesus, and grant once again unto me the joy of Your salvation. I thank you for Your promise and for Your provision! You have been so wonderful to me! In the precious name of Jesus. Amen!

"Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy." (Psalm 132:9)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Young Man and an Old Preacher

Not long ago I heard a story about a young man and an old preacher. The young man had lost his job and didn't know which way to turn. So he went to see the old preacher.

Pacing about the preacher's study, the young man ranted about his problem. Finally he clenched his fist and shouted, "I've begged God to say something to help me. Tell me, Preacher, why doesn't God answer?"

The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply--something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the room. "What did you say?" he asked.

The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the preacher's chair. "Sorry," he said. "I still didn't hear you." With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more. "God sometimes whispers," he said, "so we will move closer to hear Him." 

This time the young man heard and he understood. We all want God's voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problems. But God's is the still, small voice. . .the gentle whisper.

Perhaps there's a reason. Nothing draws human focus quite like a whisper. God's whisper means I must stop my ranting and move close to Him, until my head is bent together with His. And then, as I listen, I will find my answer. Better still, I find myself closer to God.

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."  (Psalm 46:10)

Father, help me to be still and listen intently by moving in closer to You! Lord, my relationship with You is more important to me than anything . . . help me to stay at Your feet, learning of You, listening to You, worshipping You. Remind me, Lord, that there is no place I'd rather be than at Your feet, in Your presence, snuggled in close to You for it is in that place of intimacy that I'll hear Your still, small voice guiding me and directing me in the path You have prepared for me! Father, I love You . . . forever!  Amen!

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Worship Him!

There are some times when our hearts just cry out, "Worship Him"! Today is one of those days! You don't feel like worshipping Him? Well take a minute and consider: MERCY, FORGIVENESS, SALVATION, ETERNAL LIFE, FAITHFULNESS, etc. Now, do you feel a little more like worshipping Him? Good!

"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all." (1 Chronicles 29:11)

Here's a picture of God's greatness . . . unspeakable, unfathomable, unmatched! He is more than we could ever expect Him to be. He is greater than great, higher than high, holier than holy, mightier than mighty! He is sovereign over all, totally in control of everything. Nothing is too small for His care; nothing too big for Him to handle!

Are you facing some particularly big difficulties right now? Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, lift up your eyes to God, and worship Him with all that is within you. Before long, the size of your problem will be nothing compared to the greatness of the Most High God!

Father, there is none like You in all the earth. You are mighty, You are holy! You are wonderful, You are glorious! You alone are God; there are no other gods! I ascribe greatness to Your name, O Lord! All power and glory; all honor and praise are Yours . . . for You are the author of life itself and nothing can compare to You! Father, I worship You with all that is within me! Be exalted, O God, in the heavens, on the earth, and in my life! I love You! Amen!

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness." (Psalm 48:1)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

The Donkey and the Ox

I was reading in Isaiah and was suddenly driven to look at some commentaries on a scripture and what I learned wasn't easy to swallow. See if the Spirit of God doesn't bring conviction to you as He did to me.

"The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." (Isaiah 1:3)

As I was reading this verse, I burst into tears. "Am I less than an ox, Lord, when I fail to recognize You as my Master or lower than a donkey when I reject your Word as my life-sustainer? Lord, help me – Lord, forgive me!"

Let me paraphrase some of it for you.

The comparison in this verse is to show the gross ingratitude of God's people. The ox, a well-known domestic animal, is remarkable for patient willingness to work—it's also known for submission to its owner. This is how the "ox knows his master" … it is not the brightest animal in God's creation, but it's smart enough to be submissive to its owner. Isaiah compared the ox to Israel—even the ox knows to obey. Israel does not know how to submit.

As "dumb" as a donkey is (KJV translates it as "ass"), it knows where to find food, where to grow fat. The donkey, as dumb as it is, has sufficient knowledge to understand that his provision comes from his master, that his master also offers protection and comfort. The donkey knows enough not to wander away.

Isaac Watts wrote:

The brutes obey their God,
And bow their necks to men;
But we more base, more brutish things,
Reject His easy reign.

Read today's verse again … "The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."

How long will we continue to be rebellious against our "Owner", unwilling to work, resisting change, refusing His nourishment, etc? How long will we continue to struggle with obedience? We say we love the Lord and yet we forget that to know Him is to love Him; to love Him is to obey Him. How can we claim to know our Master if we cannot obey His Word? Obedience is the key to knowing God, to living in the flow of His blessings, and to fulfilling our destiny.

Let's learn our lesson from the donkey and the ox. Let's submit to our Master, follow His lead, and no longer resist His instruction which leads to provision, protection, and comfort. Amen!

Lord, I choose to learn from the ox and the donkey. I choose to recognize You as my Master and to accept Your Word as my life-sustainer. Lord, feed me at Your table and nourish me through Your Word. Your Word tells me that You have already provided everything that pertains to life and Godliness … help me to run to Your Word to find what I need. Help me to remember this verse, Lord, every time I choose to rebel against Your Word. Transform me, Lord, change my heart, O God, and renew me through Your Word. In Jesus' precious name I pray, amen and amen!

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Reflect the Light

The thing we desire the most—to please our Heavenly Father, to live a life which stands out as being contrary to the ways of the world. Just as the moon has no light in and of itself, we cannot truly "shine" without reflecting the glory of the Lord in all we say and do. We have no ability to shine on our own; we only reflect the light of the Sun!

"Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."  (John 9:3)

The blind man was not responsible for his situation because of any sin in his life. His parents were not held accountable, nor his grandparents, etc. He was blind so the Father could be glorified in his life.

Ask yourself a question: Why am I the way I am? The answer is simple: So the Lord might be glorified through our lives. God, the Creator, in His omniscience, knew exactly what you needed to be in order to complete His plans for all of creation!

The next time you look in the mirror, be sure to understand that God made you to be who you are. Praise Him because you are "fearfully and wonderfully made" in the likeness of His image so He might be glorified in you.

Father, my desire is that You would be glorified in my life, that I would become content in who You made me so I could fulfill Your purposes in my life. Lord, help me to appreciate my uniqueness and to use every one of my shortcomings to bring glory to You in some way. Thank you, Lord, for making me special, after Your image, for Your glory! Amen!

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Passion For the Unborn

Please forgive me for my obvious passion for the unborn . . . but with tomorrow (January 22) being the anniversary for the landmark court decision popularly known as Roe v. Wade, I can't think of a better time to explore the value of mankind in the eyes of a Holy and Righteous God.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Genesis 1:27)

God created man in His own image. God values human life so much that He made us as the image of Himself. What does that mean? Go look in the mirror. What do you see? You see the image of who you are. You see the image of your person reflecting back at you. This is what God did when He created man—He made man as a reflection of Himself. Before the fall, before sin entered the world, man was the express image of God reflecting Himself. Man was perfect, sinless, and he walked daily with the Lord in the garden. There was nothing separating God from man. Go look in the mirror again – there is nothing separating you from your image. What you see is the exact image of who you are; this is the value God placed on man!

Abortion, the procedure that kills untold millions of unborn children each year, destroys the image of God! Let me say that again . . . abortion destroys the image of God! Abortion says, "The image of God is meaningless to me!" Abortion says, "The image of God is a problem that must be dealt with!" Abortion says, "The image of God is inconvenient and I have no room in my life for the image of God!"

In this country we have an ongoing battle on behalf of the unborn versus those who consider the unborn nothing but a "product of conception". In other countries, things are so much worse! For instance, in Romania 7 out of 8 babies are killed before they are born! In China, a family is allowed only one child and abortion is all too common! A medical missionary to China states that it's not uncommon to find women who have had upwards of 30 abortions because it's being used as birth control.

Genesis 4:10 give us a clue as to a voice from the earth crying out to God: "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." Cain slew Able and the voice of innocent blood cried out to God! Can you imagine the deafening roar of the blood of the innocents as it cries out from the earth to the Creator? It's a horrible sound that reaches the Throneroom of a Righteous and Just God!

Take some time to day. Write your legislators, call your pregnancy center and volunteer, make a plan to somehow make a difference! Get your family involved; teach your children the value of human life. Minister God's love and forgiveness to those who bear the scars of abortion. We can't just sit by and allow this atrocity to continue without stirring up some passion in us to be part of the solution to this worldwide problem! Pray and ask what you can do and then do it!

Father, forgive me! Forgive me for not doing my share to make a difference. Forgive me for not reaching out to those who are struggling with a choice they feel compelled to make. Forgive me for not becoming passionately vocal and active in the fight for the unborn. Forgive me for ignoring the problem because it doesn't really touch my life. Lord, stir up within me a righteous indignation against the murderous spirit unleashed across this world and give me a plan to do my part! Father, give me a burden to pray for the unborn like never before. Teach me how to teach my children and loved ones about the value You place on human life. Help me to put action into my passion and use me for Your glory! Give me the opportunity to minister Your forgiveness, love, and mercy to those who bear post-abortion scars. Let me feel Your passion, Father, and give me the courage to get involved. Protect the unborn, Lord, and reveal Your purpose and passion for human life to us all! In Jesus' name and by the power of His might I pray, amen!

"… for in the image of God has God made man." (Genesis 9:6b)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved