“The doom oh the doom of barren trees. They shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. God will deal with them as men deal with dried trees that cover the ground. He will mark them by some signal token of His displeasure. He will cut them down to death, and cast them into the fires of Hell, a fire blown by the billows of God’s wrath and fed with the wood of barren trees.”
(M. Henry)
“Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.”
(Corrie Ten-Boom)
What will we say when we see Him? Will we, like Adam, blame the gift that God has given us for our disobedient and barren lives? Adam blamed Eve, God’s gift to him, for his rebellion. Will preachers blame “the ministry” – God’s gift to them, for their prayerlessness? Will businessmen blame their businesses – God’s gift to them, for their lack of intimacy with the Creator of the universe? Is it possible that we, too are busy, yet barren? Who will we point the finger at for our barrenness? When the dead wood of our lives is collected what will our excuses be?
It is in the place of prayer and solitude that the barrenness of business is turned to true fruitfulness. We can blame no one but ourselves for not abiding in the Vine that produces perfect fruit. The scary thing is that many people think they are fruitful when in fact they are barren in the eyes of Heaven. Oh, that we would abandon the business and once again be still and know that He is God.
“Oh, Lord light these idol sticks of my life that I might burn for thee!”
(Jim Elliot)
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