Great Oaks

What's Happenin'

Recently, God has given me a scripture that has been a huge encouragement and source of motivation. Here it is...

-- To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. -- Isaiah 61:3

This verse beautifully paints the picture of God's redemption. It seems that all too often our circumstances lead to carrying around this heavy burden. Sometimes our burden is not only the source of stress, depression, and a loss of hope, but may even lead to spiritual or emotional death. We don't often pack on this kind of burden all at once, but instead we pile on thing after thing. Life continues to add to our burden but offers little or no relief from it all. As the weight of life suppresses us, we naturally become more discouraged and pessimistic. We are so consumed by the burden we carry that we fail to even see beyond our pile of garbage.

That's why I love this verse. Isaiah is telling us about an offer God wants to make with us. He wants to make a trade: We give Him the portion the world has handed to us, in return for the portion He wants to give us.

God did not intend for us to be nothing but burden-bearers. He wants to redeem death and bring about the beauty of life. He wants to turn our pain and rejection into joy and happiness. He wants to lift our burdens and give us a spirit of Worship. He intended that we not be weighed down by life so much that we are seemingly insignificant, but rather we be as significant as a great Oak tree. God created us to be a magnificent display of His Glory.

The question becomes...Will you make the trade? It is not a question of whether God will follow through. It is a question of whether or not you will relinquish your burden.

God has been encouraging me to not let my burden diminish my spirit of praise.