This is only a taste of what John saw that was so much better . . .
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The river in I.F. is looking beautiful, today
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9/11
Leaning against the railing on a ferry out in the middle of the Manhattan bay, I pointed out the Freedom Tower to my family. We were just coming back from The Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, and Ellis Island.
As the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, the One World Trade Center sparkles in the sunlight. Rising 1,776 feet into the air, the building is a monument to liberty.
I knew much had changed since the day years ago when my wife and I stood at the base of one of the Twin Towers and then later on a return visit to the gaping ground zero wound and the nearby Trinity Church that showcased countless stories and pictures of the victims.
Making our way to the Memorial Plaza, the first thing that I noticed was all the swamp white oaks trees. Each one unique. Stately. Beautiful.
Then we came to the first of the two square reflecting pools, each filling an acre and bordered by thirty-foot waterfalls and bronze panels containing the names of the 2,983 who died.
Leaving the pools, we bought tickets and entered the newly opened Memorial Museum, a place dedicated to preserving the stories of those who died. We listened to the last words of so many before they died. Words of anguish, fear, terror, sacrifice, faith, and courage.
On that fateful day, thirteen years ago, some lived as they rushed down the Survivor’s Staircase. And in brushing my hand along some of those steps, I could not help but think about all those around us who are spiritually perishing. They need to be shown the path where they can be rescued. Jesus is that path. The Way.
September 11 is upon us. My favorite symbol on this particular day is the steel cross. It was at the foot of the steel cross in the museum just a few weeks ago, I thanked the Lord Jesus Christ for rescuing me.
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Greenbelt Trees
Take a walk around the Snake River Greenbelt in Idaho Falls. You will see all kinds of trees: Bechtel Crab, European White Birch, Ponderosa Pine, Green Ash, Horse Chestnut, Bur Oak, Deborah Maple, Little Leaf Linden, Crabapple, Eastern Cottonwood, Weeping Birch, Thornless Honeylocust, and Box Elder, etc.
My favorite on the greenbelt is the Bur Oak. There are several on the East bank and one centered also in the roundabout circle. The Hebrew word for oak is my family name – Elon.
How did all these beautiful trees get here by the river? They certainly didn’t get there by themselves. Certain landscapers planted them along the river in this southeastern Idaho desert. They all have a transplanted status.
Likewise, we didn’t plant ourselves in God’s kingdom here in Idaho Falls. We couldn’t do anything on our own. The King is the One who plants us by the rivers of water. We are the planting of Yahweh, that He might be glorified (Isaiah 61:3). Every spiritual tree planted in the dusty, windy, sagebrush desert of Southeastern Idaho is a mighty testimony to the power of God’s sovereign grace. The Creator gets the praise for the beauty that we see in this region.
And yet as spiritual trees in this city, we have great responsibility (Psalm 1). We must delight in God’s Law. We cannot compromise. We must meditate day and night on His authoritative message. We are the Bereans who test everything. This motto must continuously be at the forefront on the river: Always the Word.
The pure Word is your streams in the desert on this first beautiful morning in August. Locate your Bible today. Don’t let the scriptures just sit on the shelf all week in your home. Let Jesus speak to you, strengthen you, and set you firmly in His will.
Bad Tree / Good Tree
There are many people in Idaho Falls who are caught up with temporal bigness and outward success. It’s tempting. People naturally flow to that which gathers a lot of other people. Security in numbers. Assurance with affluence. Might to maintain right. But over and over in the Bible, we are warned of the dangers of not taking shelter in what we build with our own hands. We are exhorted to flee from the insidious viper that lies within us all – pride. The most luxuriant trees in Idaho Falls because of a lack of humility can and will be cut down. Consider the sober reality of the watered tree in Ezekiel 31. My encouragement to you is this: Flee from the massive tree that does not utterly depend on God. I don’t care how beautiful it looks on the outside. It is only a matter of time before the whole super structure comes toppling down.
Secondly, there are people in Idaho Falls who look upon their past as Job did in chapter 29 – “My root is spread out to the waters.” At one time in their lives, they were happy. They had experienced the blessing of God. They had influence in the city and in ministry. But then bad things happened to them. Circumstances went horribly wrong. Awful suffering. And now they are hurting. They feel abandoned and stuck. So I would like to say that if you feel like you are in this category, consider this: Find a brother or sister in town who will not lecture or accuse you but instead will weep with you. And even when you don’t feel God’s nearness, trust that He is there with you. In you. You might lose everything in your present life, but He will never forsake you. And with your roots in the living water, you will flourish again through God’s unfailing love.
Thirdly, there is a group of people in Idaho Falls – a very, small minority who are tapped into the spiritual realities of Jeremiah 17:7-8. As an ESV Study Bible note suggests, these are the people who are “settled with resources no matter what happens”. Through the fires of life, Jeremiah had arrived at this state. And this is where God would have us all cross over as we fervently spread out our roots by the river in this city.
There is much to meditate and pray over as you walk with family and friends along the Idaho Falls greenbelt.
Let all come to the water.
Introduction
Back in the 1850’s, this city was nothing but an arid, desolate, sage-brush desert. What became the key to what we have today in Idaho Falls? It was men and women who learned to tap into the life-providing economy of the river water. They developed roots by the river.
In the upcoming months, I desire to share brief devotional emails that focus upon deepening your roots in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our living water (John 4).
Hello from Idaho Falls in Southeastern Idaho!
Jeremiah 17:7-8 is the source of inspiration for this blog:
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD, for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.
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Providence Downtown - Roots by the River 