Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Fence

What do you see when you look at the picture to the left? I know the first thing you noticed was the tree, right? But then your attention quickly turned to that orange thing surrounding that tree and you probably stared at it to see what it actually was, didn't you? I took that picture today at our new Revolution Church land not because I just wanted to take a picture of a tree with an orange fence around it, but because it really grabbed my attention about our relationship with Jesus.
The orange fence was installed around that tree to protect it from getting damaged from all of the heavy equipment as we begin to build our new home at Revolution. I've seen the fence around it for a few weeks now, but today really tugged on my heart. All I could see when I looked at it was the relationship that Jesus wants to have with each and every one of us if we would actually let Him. Look over at that picture again and imagine yourself as that tree. Now imagine that fence as Jesus. It totally surrounds the tree! That fence is there to protect it from all of the bad things that could destroy it (bulldozers, people, etc.) and to allow it to keep growing. What if the tree was sitting outside of that same fence? It would get demolished because there would be no protection, right? Why would our relationship be any different with Jesus?
Psalm 32:10 NIV says "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him." If we trust in him, he WILL surround us like that orange fence and he WILL protect us. As I looked around the property today, heavy equipment was tearing everything up, but there in the middle of it all stood that tree with the orange fence around it without being touched. Just imagine the security you would feel if you let that orange fence surround you as you went out into your busy every day lives. No matter where you work, there are always bulldozers just waiting for you to take that step outside of the fence and take you down.
You don't even have to lift a finger to build or carry this fence to where you are in life, its already been built for you and put in place. Pick up a Bible, contact a friend who you know is a Christian or find a church to attend. All three of those can show you how to take that step inside of the orange fence and get the protection that Jesus has to offer.