When the Brown family woke up on a beautiful Sunday morning in April, they had no idea that their corner of the neighborhood would be changed in more ways than one that day. They drove to Sunday school with the sun’s rays reflecting off their car. But when they returned home a few hours later, there were heavy, unexpected storm clouds overhead.
When they got home, they noticed a neighbor trying to trim her large tree which hung over the Brown’s driveway. Since they had moved into the neighborhood, they had tried being friendly to this neighbor, but they had been unable to build a relationship with her. Mr. and Mrs. Brown decided it would be a good idea for Mr. Brown to offer to help her trim the tree. She accepted his help, so while the rest of the family made lunch, Mr. Brown finished trimming the tree.
After lunch, it was nap time. Rain began to fall, and the wind became stronger and stronger. They lay in bed listening to the wind and rain, until they
fell asleep.
Suddenly, crack ck-ck-ck-CABOOM! The tree that Mr. Brown had just finished trimming fell in the strong winds. It landed on their car, covered their entire driveway, and blocked off part of the road. Mr. Brown imagined that their car was completely smashed, but cheerfully began to pick up debris from the storm. Other neighbors came to help, and they all worked together to clear the tree away. As they finally got the tree off the car, Mr. Brown was almost afraid to look. However, he was shocked and very relieved to see just two tiny dents!
The Brown family fixed dinner for all the willing workers, and then Mr. Brown ended the mealtime by reading the Bible.
After the incident of the fallen tree, the neighbor and the Brown family often had good times together, talking about God’s faithfulness and how He’d used the tree as a bridge between them, uniting them in a manner they never would have thought of. God had proven what He says in Isaiah 55:8: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.”
This story is not the only story in which God has used a tree as a bridge. Actually, there is a much more wonderful story of God making a tree into a bridge.
People, since creation, have rebelled against God. This rebellion has kept them separated from having a relationship with God. God does not want people to be separated from Him, yet because He is just, He cannot overlook sin. It must be punished. Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) says, “The wages of sin is death.” But, in His amazing love, instead of punishing us, God sent His Son Jesus “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)). God used the tree, the wooden cross on which Jesus died, as a bridge to make a way for us to come to Him. Have you crossed this bridge that God has provided? Do you have peace with God?
There is another lesson to learn from the Brown family for those of us who know the Lord Jesus. The Bible says we are to have our “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:1515And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (Ephesians 6:15)). The Browns showed great kindness to their neighbor, in spite of the fact that she had not been friendly to them in the past. They persisted, and finally it worked. They did that because they love the Lord Jesus and wanted to be able to share Him with her. How we act each day can have a good effect on how others react to the gospel that we want to share with them, or it can have a bad effect. God has made a way for us to have peace with Him in the gospel, and we can live in such a way that we can share that message of peace with others. This is what it means to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. You can be a missionary for the Lord Jesus wherever
you live!
Messages of God’s Love 2/28/2021