Bonsai Christians or Cedars in Lebanon?!
By Helen Jesze, 21st August 2015
“The (uncompromisingly) righteous shall flourish like the palm tree (be long-lived, stately, upright, useful and fruitful); they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (majestic, stable, durable and incorruptible). Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
(Growing in grace) they shall still bring forth fruits in old age; they shall be full of sap (of spiritual vitality) and (rich in the) verdure (of trust, love and contentment).”
Psalm 92, 12-14 The Amplified Bible
“But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (the Messiah)…”
II Peter 3, 18a The Amplified Bible
One of our sons once had an unusual birthday gift; it was a kit to grow a Bonsai tree. The box contained a small ceramic dish and bag of soil to fill it, a tiny tree with delicate roots, a small pair of sharp scissors, pincers and other tools and of course, very important, the instructions on how to grow your tree and keep it healthy.
In case you don’t know what a Bonsai is, let me explain. Bonsai is the art of cultivating tiny trees. This art, developed by the Japanese more than a thousand years ago, is derived from the Chinese practice of growing miniature plants. In Bonsai cultivation, woody plants are kept small and are grown in small containers; they are fed and watered only enough for healthy growth and the tree needs constant pruning.
By applying wire coils, branches are made to bend and grow into a desired shape or direction. Some dwarf trees in harsh climates look aged, gnarled or overhanging. In Japan, various native evergreens, junipers, spruces, and pines, as well as many flowering deciduous trees, are cultivated as Bonsai trees.
It was so interesting to see how our son patiently, faithfully fertilised and watered his tiny tree, snipping away at the leaves, twigs and roots to keep it small. He had his tiny tree for quite a while, but I’m not sure what happened to it in the end! Yet we are told that Bonsai trees can grow very old. One of the oldest and most expensive ones is 800 years old and is owned by Mr. Kobayashi, and his Bonsai trees have won him the famous Prime Minister Award four times in Japan.
These little trees have been dwarfed only by the hand of Man. If they were left to grow in the wild, they would be many metres tall, just as Nature intended. They have been purposely stunted, distorted, grown into certain shapes and sizes, just at the grower’s whim and fancy. A Bonsai is grown only for a person’s interest, artistic creativity and its unusual beauty. It may be beautiful to look at and a work of art in its own way, but serves no useful purpose.
How different this is from the palm and cedar trees which our Scripture verses today speak about! Just as a child should grow physically and mentally, God wants us, as His children, to grow spiritually. Here we are promised abundant growth, if we will fulfill certain conditions. You might say, it says only the ‘righteous’ can grow and flourish. I make so many mistakes! When we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, He gave us His gift of righteousness, through the blood He shed on Calvary.
What happens if we make a mistake? We can come to Him and ask for forgiveness, repent and pick ourselves up in His strength, going on again, trusting Him to live His life through us, seeking God’s ways and His righteousness. So this verse can be for any of us. The palm tree is famous for the hundreds of products which can be made from its fibre, leaves and fruit. It is to be found near water in the desert – at an oasis – and was a welcome sight for weary, thirsty travellers. We too, can be upright, fruitful, useful, bringing refreshment to those in a dry and thirsty land.
Cedars of Lebanon
This conifer usually has a single, thick trunk with many horizontal, spirally arranged branches which can be quite stout, and look rather like large flat shelves; its leaves are stiff, dark green or bluishgreen needles, like a pine tree, and it bears cones. The cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) is a tall , evergreen tree which has been prized for its high quality timber, oils and resins for thousands of years. It is the national emblem of Lebanon, and was used to build the famous Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, as well as the ships and temples of the Egyptian pharaohs. The resin of the cedar of Lebanon was even used in mummification by the Ancient Egyptians.
But why does God want to make us like these cedars? We can be majestic, born into His royal family with His dignity upon us. He wants us to be stable, planted in His House and in His Word, not shaken and tossed around with the difficulties of Life.
We can be durable – long-lasting, for God will inject His strength into us and cause us to walk steadily on with Him. The smell of cedar wood and its oil repels certain types of moths and insects. The fragrance of Jesus upon us and the oil of the Holy Spirit will repel the irritants and decay satan would bring into our lives, making us incorruptible spiritually.
The cedar is very strong and its flat shaped branches stretch out wide. Birds and small animals find security and a place to live in the branches of large trees, and God wants us to be a ‘cedar’ providing a resting place and a place for the vulnerable to find shelter in the ‘branches’ of our lives, because of His life and love in us.
Bonsai Christians
But what is a Bonsai Christian?! Oh, I have seen many of them through the years. In fact, every Christian is in danger of becoming one, or of making other people into them! We can cause ourselves to become dwarfed spiritually and not grow as we should in God, by not accepting all that Jesus bought for us by His blood on the cross. Perhaps He has forgiven you for some sin or mistake in your life but you cannot forgive yourself. You keep thinking about it and condemning yourself, always looking in the ‘back mirror’ instead of looking through the ‘windscreen’ of your life and going forward.
Every time you want to ask the Lord for something, satan comes and shows you a picture of your sin, and you see he has a whole gallery of them! He whispers, “You see, you’re not righteous! God could never answer your prayers!” But satan is a liar – the father of all lies. My sin and your sin is between Jesus and us personally, and nothing to do with him! Or you may be thinking: Nobody loves me! I’ve ruined my life! I’ll never find a husband!… Doubt and discouragement fill your heart – all these things can make us become a Bonsai Christian, but throw off these doubts and don’t let satan snip off any more of your growth. Fill your heart with God’s Word and you will become planted and begin to put out new spiritual shoots again!
How to make a Bonsai Christian
It is so easy to encourage other people, but how often we do the opposite and discourage them. When we were living in Germany, I was working with a Christian international organisation for women, which had been brought to Europe from USA. One of the leaders, a wonderful woman of God, then living in Germany was just learning the language. Usually she used an interpreter in her meetings, but one night she decided to try to speak in German. After the meeting a woman came up to her and said very rudely, “If I couldn’t speak better English than you speak German, I would keep my mouth shut!”
This lady was devastated, and although she later was able to converse in German, she always
used an interpreter publicly. That part of her life and ministry was dwarfed and stunted,
making her a ‘Bonsai’ in that area.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to grow and become strong in you! Help me not to
believe the lies of satan or to listen when others would drag me down. You are the
glory and the lifter of my head, my strength and my stay. Also, help me to speak
words of encouragement today, which will lift those who are downcast and cause
them to grow tall and strong in you!.
In Jesus’ Name I pray Father, Amen
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