Monday, October 19, 2015

We have been studying Isaiah 61:3, which says that God wants to make us “oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” As Jesus Christ displayed the character and behavior of God even though He had laid aside His divine display of glory, so we as Christians are to display Christ-likeness in our character and behavior. Philippians 2:5 commands, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” This is what Paul meant when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” This is the essence of what Isaiah says in his impact statement, “Oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” God intends to display His splendor through me by making me strong and steady as an oak tree, characterized by righteous character and behavior. Let me tell you, the church needs more mature men and women who could be described by this impact statement – “Oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” We need youthful enthusiasm, idealism and vision. But if we sideline, or worse yet, discard the older “oaks of righteousness,” we will lose the steadiness, strength and beauty they can provide. They are what they are because of the storms they’ve weathered over the years and the lessons learned through those experiences. The impact of the church in the world will also suffer if the “oaks of righteousness” are not recognized, recruited and used as a vital part of the team.