Safe Garden

Psalms 52:8 (KJV) But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

(Proverbs 26 also read)

I just finished a book dealing with the history of Greece, and one of the things the author pointed out in their constant warfare was that invading armies would cut down all of the olive trees.  Because of the poor soil, and other factors olive oil was the major source of income and wealth for many of these cities.  When you cut down the trees, you cut down their source of olive oil and money.  That was only the beginning of the problem.  Evidently olive trees are very slow to grow.  At least that’s what the book said.  I don’t set myself up as a authority on olives.  The author did.

That means that one of the points of this verse is that in order to grow healthy it’s going to take a long time to mature.  We need protection.  God offers that protection.

So?  That should be encouraging.  It also means that we have to stay in the garden instead of wandering around engaging people swinging axes in conversation.  Stay safe.