Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, March 30, Evening
By Nancy Thompson, April 16, 2019
The Love of God
Read Hebrews 13:13
You may remember the story of the “The Three Trees” accredited to folklore of long ago. Three trees grew up together on a hillside. They often shared their dreams of what they wanted to be when they were grown.
The first wanted to be a beautiful decorative treasure box in which to hold precious and priceless treasures and jewels of the king. He was made into a manger from which animals would be fed. The manger became a crib which held the Christ child – the most precious treasure ever to be known.
The second wanted to be a huge ocean craft on which he would carry many people across the seas to see God’s creation. He was crafted into a small fishing boat which carried Jesus as He taught His disciples. It held them as they rested and slept, and from which Christ calmed a dangerous storm.
The dream of the third tree was to grow to be the tallest, strongest and largest tree in the forest so he could stand erect and daily point people to God. The woodsmen came and downed the third tree and sawed it into two large square type logs with which they formed a cross. It was from this tree that our Savior was hung as the painful crown of thorns was placed on His head and the dreaded swords pierced His side until He said, “It is finished”. This tree has pointed people to Christ through the centuries.
Christ gave His perfect life on the cruel cross for us – for you and me. This realization comes particularly close during communion when the server hands us the bread and says, this is Christ’s body given for you – followed by the juice and the server says, this is Christ’s blood shed for you.
“…the love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell…”
Hymn by Frederick M. Lehman
Prayer
Oh God, thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the faith with which to believe, for your love which we witness and feel every day, and for the hope of eternal life. Amen.
