"Rooted In Truth" -2

"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever." (Psalms 52:8) As much as I hate to admit it, I have days of doubt; as I assume most everyone else does also. But God, God is the one that has my back! You really cannot trust anyone else but God; as soon as you start putting any kind of faith in someone else for support or encouragement, you are going to be let down. We need to be an encouragement to other, and we need to keep ourselves "unspotted from the world"; last I checked, there is only one way to keep "unspotted from the world", and that is by confessing my sins; which is one of my favorite verses: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Wasn't that the whole purpose of Jesus washing the disciples feet, that He demonstrated how we need to be cleaned from the stuff we step in every day; that, and how we need to be humble before one another and before God. This description that David is giving to us, is that of a special tree that is in a special place; is not just any living tree, it's a tree that is green because it is growing and it is flourishing; it's not some sort of old-growth tree that has reached it's peak of growth, but it is reaching and growing still; and because it is an olive tree, it's oil is fresh and adorned with brightness; a brightness that is brought fourth and displayed from where it is planted, "in the house of God". Everything that this special tree needs, water, soil, sunlight; whatever it requires for growth and life, comes from the place where it is planted, "in the house of God". And because this very special tree is growing in this very special place, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can take away the hope that this very special tree has in the place where it has been planted... "Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the Word, and not just hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:18-22)