From Strength to Strength

A young man, no doubt wishing to seem wise beyond his years, watched and elder gentlemen plant young apple trees. The old man carefully and tenderly set each little tree in the soil and watered it in. After a bit the young man called out, “Sir, you do realize you will never eat an apple off these trees?” “Yes”, replied the elder and went on working. “Then why waste the time knowing you will never get anything out of it?” Ask the younger. The old man’s answer showed the focus his life. The elder man replied, “I won’t eat apples from these trees, but someone will. Someone will come by this place and be thankful of the fact that I planted the trees. Yes, I won’t eat the fruit of my labor but someone will.”

There are many events that touch our lives through the passing of time. Happenings that bless us and leave us smiling and events that touch us and leave us sadden or hurt. Some even leave us shell-shocked and confused. There are no doubt questions in all our minds about what has come our way. Good things, wonderful things and then bad things. We all have things in our life that we have no answer as to why they came our way. Why did I have to deal with that?

 

Years ago I had an event touch my life that left me filled with questions. I prayed, asked God why, and puzzled over the lack of an answer. I didn’t know anyone to turn to who had walked down a similar road. For a few days I walked through life in a daze not knowing any reason or lesson, direction or hope as to why I was staggering through that barren area of life I was. After a few days a received a hand written letter from an elder in my life who said God woke Him and he felt he should write me the letter. In that letter he described in detail the exact same event in his life with a different time, place and name. Yet it was my story and my event in someone else’s life. He encouraged me and gave me words of wisdom.

 

Today looking back I still don’t know the reasons or the whys of that event in my life but I have purposed that I would not leave the place barren. Because someone else will walk there and I plan when that day comes to be a fresh pool for them to be encouraged by.

 

There is a song in scripture found in Psalm 84. It is a song about the wonders of the tabernacle of God. It describes the blessing of being in the Lord’s courts and how the writer longs to just stay there. The singer envies the birds that get to build a nest there. Yet, declares that he will be there, he will journey there, he will return to the court of the Lord with praise. It is in verses four through seven that some amazing thoughts are given.

 

Israel had several feast or holidays of celebration that required they return to the Temple to worship each year. On their way to Jerusalem, from their different home towns, they journeyed no doubt the same route each time. Spurgeon, in his books, The Treasury of David, makes this note about verse 6. “Probably there is here a local allusion, which will never now be deciphered, but the general meaning is clear enough. There are joys of pilgrimage which make men forget the discomforts of the road. “The rain also filleth the pools.” God gives to his people the supplies they need while traversing the roads which he points out for them. Where there were no natural supplies from below, the pilgrims found an abundant compensation in waters from above…”

 

Those who passed through the different dry and barren places must have created places of rest where the rains, which were now long gone, left a pool to rest by. Maybe they dug the pools for the rain to fill. Maybe they built a bridge to get over a certain place. Whatever was there it was a help and a refreshing to those who would later, maybe years later, come that way again. They journeyed to the presence of the Lord from one strength to another strength.

 

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84:5-7 NKJV 

 

I don’t always know all the reasons why life handed me what it has passed to me but a long time ago after a note that made a difference I decided to dig a pool at the event. I may never use the water of help caught there but someone will. I don’t always know why some blessings come my way but I have purposed in my heart to plant something that will bear fruit so someone can enjoy it. I don’t always know the reasons but if I can learn enough I can help someone else walk where I have walked. I can dig a pool.

 

That day when I received that note I decided I would be ready to write such a note when the need of opportunity came. I will dig a pool, build a bridge, plant a tree, I will do something with the events of my life so that those who come after me can go from strength to strength.

 

No, I may not get to eat the fruit but I will plant the tree because someone will need the fruit.

I challenge you to look at where life walks you and  make it a better path so someone else can go from strength to strength, help others appear before God in His courts.