Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem
In Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged" there is a strange chapter about an Oak Tree that gets struck by lightening:
The great oak tree had stood on a hill over the Hudson, in a lonely spot of the Taggart estate. Eddie Willers, aged seven, liked to come and look at that tree. It had stood there for hundreds of years, and he thought it would always stand there.
The stately Oak is struck and split open, revealing nothing but rot inside. It symbolizes huge government bureaucracies that seem "too big to fail". All things pass away, even giant trees that seem like they will live forever. Like the Oak in the novel, some things appear huge, powerful, and indestructible, but are so rotten inside that the slightest stress can cause it to crumble.
Ironically, the Olive Tree, growing in the harsh climate of the Middle East, is not a particularly attractive tree. Its branches are gnarly and twisted, and its bark is rough and mottled grey. It is not stately or powerful like the Oak, nor does it grow very tall. And yet, I have seen Olive Trees in Jerusalem that some claim are thousands of years old.That may be an exaggeration, but there is no question that these trees are VERY old.
The Psalmist uses the Olive Tree, rather than the Oak, to describe the Righteous Person who is firmly rooted in God's Word. He may seem weak and unattractive to the World, but he will have staying power that will long outlive a haughty "oak" full of rot inside.
Ayn Rand was not a Believer, but she did get some things right. Her prediction of a collectivist "Deep State" that stifles creativity and initiative with government control, was prescient!
Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.
"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
God Bless America!
Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.
This Symbol Represents Christians in The Middle East, who desperately need our Prayers.
Hallelujah and Amen
ML/LTOS