They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Devotion based on Isaiah 61:3

One million people visit the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, every year. One million. The draw, of course, is the Gettysburg battlefield—the site of the most famous battle fought during the American Civil War.

If you have even a casual interest in history, a visit to Gettysburg is well worth the trip. Thanks to the foresight of people generations ago, the town and the battlefield are in a remarkable state of preservation (if you look carefully, you can even spot cannon balls still stuck in the sides of buildings). If you want to encounter the past even more, however, ask a Battlefield Guide to show you what’s called a witness tree. A witness tree is a tree that’s old enough and sturdy enough to have witnessed the actual battle. Some are still hiding bullets and shrapnel behind their bark. There’s something powerful about showing a witness tree to a young child. It says to a young boy or girl, “This battle was real. This really happened.”

In Isaiah chapter 61, the Lord was speaking to people who felt frail, defeated, and crushed. They felt this way because the consequences of their sin had made them realize what lost, broken sinners they were. God, however, reminded them that he had made a promise. He had promised to send a Savior from sin—someone who would wash away their guilty stains and renew their relationship with their Creator. When this happened, God promised that “they (would) be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”

God has fulfilled that promise. He has sent his Son. Jesus Christ has washed away our guilty stains at the cross. Jesus Christ has lived a life of solid, perfect faithfulness on our behalf. Through faith in his Son, God declares us holy. And as he does, he also empowers us to be witness trees for the Lord, “to be oaks of righteousness . . . for the display of his splendor.”

When we are—when we absorb the shrapnel and scars of living as Christians in a fallen world—then you and I can tell the next generation, Be of good courage. Christ is your strength.

Prayer:

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.