Last week I wrote about my love for oak trees and how the sheer size of these trees should confront us with the majesty and power of God. The beauty we experience in the created world was never meant to be an end in and of itself, but rather, a means to an end—worship of the Creator.
We should always celebrate the glorious Creator who is the source behind the glorious creation we are blessed to see, touch, taste, and hear. An oak tree is a finger pointing to the wonder of the Lord!
Oak trees are also meant to provide us with a visual reminder of Jesus Christ and his redemptive work. Isaiah 61 contains a prophecy of the Messiah who would come and what he would produce. (In fact, when Jesus begins his ministry and returns to Galilee, he teaches on this specific prophecy; see Luke 4:14-30).
In this prophesy, part of the future redemptive mission statement of Christ is to “bring good news to the poor […] that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1,3, ESV, emphasis mine).
An oak tree is such a powerful visual metaphor. It takes decades, even centuries, to mature. And because of its slow yet steady growth, it has deep roots and a thick trunk that can withstand the brutal elements of nature. It’s resistant to the heat of the sun, the cold of winter, and the onslaught of wind and rain.
If you were to walk around the base of an oak tree, you would probably see little mushrooms. These are impressive in their own right because they sprout up literally overnight. But you can flick them away with your finger; they have no strength or durability. They’re a flash in the pan, a quick bloomer with no legacy.
Not so for the mighty oak, like a mature Christian sanctified over many, many years and protected by the whole armor of God: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might […] that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10,13)
Let me take this metaphor and change direction. If you’re a parent, wouldn’t you want to raise an oak tree of righteousness and not a mushroom? It may sound silly phrased in that way, but I want to propose that Isaiah 61:3 is perhaps one of the best visionary passages in the Bible for moms and dads.
No, of course, you’re not the Messiah, so Isaiah 61 is not about you. But God, in his wisdom, has chosen parents to be an instrument to shape a human soul. I can’t think of anything in this life that is more important!
As with the growth of an oak tree, parenting is a long-term process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes maturity is so minimal that you cannot see any progress. But over many years, God uses parents to plant seeds of strength and righteousness in the heart of a child so that when they exit the home and enter the world, they can withstand the storms of a culture gone crazy.
I’ve taken this visual metaphor of an oak tree and created a brand-new, entirely free conference for moms, dads, and grandparents. It’s called Parenting Never Ends because your role continues long after your children have left home. Luella and I have four adult children that range from 45 to 38, and we’ve discovered that parenting truly is a lifelong calling!
In three video sessions, we’ll look at:
- Ages 0-7
- Seven until the child leaves the home
- Your relationship with your adult children (and grandchildren)
From your earliest days of parenting, you have to think about legacy. It’s so tempting to get trapped in the moment and coerce your child to do what you want. But an oak tree view of parenting focuses on legacy.
What will your long-term relationship with your child be like, and what do you need to do today to plant those seeds?
That’s what Parenting Never Ends is about. It’s entirely free, with three video sessions and a bonus discussion guide. I encourage you to watch it, apply it, and share it with other parents and grandparents!
God bless,
Paul David Tripp
Reflection Questions
1. Have you considered how the Bible is a picture book in many ways? First, meditate on what a wonderfully visual and illustrated gift the canon of Scripture is. Then, spend time thanking your Creator for his storehouse of physical examples to help us know him, ourselves, and our world more accurately.
2. Write a list of things you experienced today (or yesterday) embedded in the physical world—bread, sun, rock, river, tree, lion, etc.—that the Lord uses as spiritual metaphors in his Word.
3. Identify a metaphor that has brought you comfort and peace in recent days. Pick another that has challenged you to pursue righteousness. Consider (or share with others) the lessons that God is teaching you or reminding you of through the physical world.
4. In what ways have you been tempted recently to chase after temporary, worldly, “mushroom-like” results—something that looks impressive, grows fast, but is short-lived and has no true roots or strength in God’s kingdom?
5. In this same area of temptation, be it parenting or entirely unrelated to the family, how can you instead choose to focus on planting the seeds for an “oak of righteousness”—something that leaves an eternal, Christ-honoring legacy?
