Trees of Righteousness

On March 27, 2021, I had a vision. I saw a seemingly healthy indoor tree plucked from its pot. Dirt streamed from its roots onto the floor.

When I awoke, the Lord turned my attention to the type of tree it was. After some research, I found out it was called a “fiddlehead fig” tree. Interestingly enough, in their native environment, these trees are harmful to other trees, sometimes causing death, and they do not bear edible fruit. They are popular as an indoor plant, however, for their unique leaves.

As I sat and mulled over the vision, I heard the Lord say, “You will know them by their fruit.” (Matthew 7:20)

He reminded me of what happens to neglected orange groves. Orange trees are planted in rows so that machinery can drive between the trees to spray for bugs or harvest fruit. Whenever an orchard farmer stops tending to them, other trees will grow up in between the rows – pine trees, various species of oaks, and other easily seeded trees – as well as a host of weeds and other plant life. Over time, the new plants crowd out the fruit trees and the fruit trees die.

He then said to me, “They are a false planting.”

A picture began to form in my head. What looked beautiful in its pot wasn’t supposed to be there, and the Lord wasn’t going to allow it to remain, although MEN were responsible for its planting, whether through deliberate action or simply great neglect. Like the orange orchard farmer, they didn’t bother to tend to the trees but let anything that tried to grow remain in place.

He said, “I will not share my glory. I will not divide my throne in half nor shift it from where it sits. I will not compromise who I AM, as if it is required. Shall the pot tell the potter what it shall hold? Would you plant a rosebush in a drinking glass? An unclean vessel is fit only to be discarded in the trash heap. Place it amongst pots of gold and silver and call it what you will, that does not change its appearance or deny its uselessness. I never promised to ignore the tares and include them in the harvest. I said they would be separated from the grain and burned." (Mt 13:30)

He drew me to Isaiah 61:3, which says, speaking of the Messiah, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE PLANTING OF THE LORD, THAT HE MIGHT BE GLORIFIED.”

This is the heart of the Father for His children, for us to be trees of righteousness FULL OF HIS GLORY.

What picture does Psalm 1 paint of trees? Speaking of the man who delights in God’s Word, it says, “And he shall be LIKE A TREE planted by the rivers of water, that BRINGETH FORTH HIS FRUIT in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3)

These types of men are prosperous trees, strong trees, bearing fruit.

Now, let’s read Ezekiel’s vision. Here, we have the river of living water flowing from the throne inside the temple, and it heals the waters of the Dead Sea. (Ezekiel 47:1, 8) Along the banks of the river are fruit trees. Not simply trees to LOOK AT, but trees that sustain life and heal.

“Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other … And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, SHALL GROW ALL TREES FOR MEAT, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: IT SHALL BRING FORTH NEW FRUIT according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and THE FRUIT THEREOF SHALL BE FOR MEAT, AND THE LEAF THEREOF FOR MEDICINE.” (Ezekiel 47:6-7, 12)

In John the apostle’s vision, He also saw the river flowing from the throne and a tree that brings healing.

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there THE TREE OF LIFE, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and THE LEAVES OF THE TREE WERE FOR THE HEALING of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1-2)

God’s garden will not grow unproductive trees. Trees that He’s planted will not wither and fail. Nor will He tolerate plant growth to remain that prevents His harvest. Jesus stated this clearly, as spoken by the Holy Spirit to me in this vision, when He gave the parable of the wheat and the tares.

He said, “While men slept, HIS ENEMY CAME and sowed tares among the wheat.” (Matthew 13:25) The enemy is responsible for the false planting. Not God. Get that square first in your thinking, then rest your faith in His heart to clean up the garden. Frankly, if you have had any doubts that He will, if you have spoken against the words from the prophets, or if you have been tempted to give up, then you haven’t spent enough time listening to Him.

He’s eager to speak with you. Eager to comfort you to His will in this hour.

I thought the lesson done then and, for one reason or another, never shared the vision. I considered it and prayed over it many times but kept it to myself. Then on April 8, I had a second vision. In this one, I saw myself trying to dig up a live oak tree sapling with my fingers. Now, in case you aren’t aware, though these trees may look small, be only five or six inches tall, their roots go down deep. Pulling one up takes considerable effort.

I heard Psalm 1:3 again but in an alternate translation. The Amplified says it this way, “And he will be like a tree FIRMLY PLANTED [and fed] by streams of water.” The Passion Translation speaks it like this, “He will be STANDING FIRM like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, DEEPLY ROOTED by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous.”

Firmly planted. Standing firm. Deeply rooted.

Trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord, alongside His living waters, will have DEEP ROOTS, and this is why they prosper, bear fruit, and do not wither. They are fed from the throne. They take part in the life of God, and God’s life will heal and nourish and always, always, always produce fruit. This is absolute and unchangeable.

But unless we set our hearts to seek Him and, in the seeking, drink of His voice, when the heat comes, we will wither as trees without roots and will allow what God did not plant – in our homes, in our hearts, in our nation – to grow there and choke our fruit. (Matthew 13:21) Not everything growing right now is God’s will, and He will see to it, the tares are gathered out of the harvest.

Do not doubt that because He is here. He is with us right now. GOD IS GOING TO WORK A GREAT WORK IN THE UNITED STATES. He will UPROOT and EXPOSE what He has not planted. Develop DEEP ROOTS in the life flowing from His river, and you will know that 100%.

“Let your ROOTS GO DOWN DEEPLY IN HIM and let Him build you up on a firm foundation. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always spill over with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:7 VOICE)

Photo by Kendal on Unsplash

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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.feelgoodromance.com
www.suzannedwilliams.com