While reading my Bible tonight, a verse stuck out to me more than any other had in a long, long time. So much so that I decided to hop on here and write up something totally impromptu about it. It’s late, I’m tired, my cat is meowing incessantly that it’s time for bed…so this will be quick. Here it goes.
The verse in question is as follows:
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. It has been planted, but will it thrive?” –Ezekiel 17:9-10
It has been planted, but will it thrive?
This verse is found during the parable in Ezekiel about the two eagles and the vine. In this parable (parable = earthly story with a heavenly meaning) the Lord speaks of a great, powerful Eagle who plants a seedling which sprouts into an enormous, vast, fruitful tree by the water (Ezekiel 17:3-5). Another *equally great* eagle comes by and, long story short, the tree was no longer thriving. Read it for yourself, the details are there.
The parable is symbolic of a nobleman from Jerusalem whom, after having been “planted” in high esteem & regard by the King of Babylon, made the choice to rebel, break treaty, and attempt to bring his own pillage on the kingdom in which he had been placed and had sworn to oath (Ezekiel 17:11-15). Furthermore, this story relates back to the rebellious nature of Israel, God’s chosen people, who also *continuously* broke the oath that had been made between themselves and God, rebelling time and again, choosing to forego their favored and gifted place in the Kingdom. They had been planted, but due to their own choices, they did not thrive.
Thankfully, God’s mercy is greater than Israel’s rebellion, and the people of Israel were restored. But for a time, they were a mess. Because no one who consciously denies a seat at God’s table out of rebellion will thrive.
I challenge you to consider the question that is now my driving force for spiritual growth in this season of my life: will you thrive where you’re planted? Will you recognize the abundant, rich, fertile soil in which God has planted you in order for you to grow, spread upward & outward, reaching further and further toward the Heavens, or will you deny your place, rebel, and wither?
I’m acutely aware that the answer is not simple. Perhaps, like me, you will say “both” because honestly and truly, humans (yep, even *especially* christians) tend to go through seasons. We go through faithful seasons, fruitful seasons, and rebellious seasons. It happens.
But like I said, God’s grace surpasses our failures tenfold. But this doesn’t mean we’re off the hook.
Nope. We can take God’s forgiveness and unfailing love as part of His great nature, but we have a responsibility too. One that the rebellious nobleman from Jerusalem also had, but failed to hold himself accountable to.
We must strive to keep the oath. Through the hard times, where things of this world attempt to lead us away from our seat at the table, we must remain steadfast in keeping the oath that we made with our Father. It is the only way to eternity.
Here’s to thriving.
B.
The Call and the Chronicle 