The Perfect Tree

December 4th, 2023
by Dillon Evans

Monday, December 4th

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of
counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord … and he will
delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by
what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge …
… The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the
lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. … The infant will play near
the cobra’s den and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. … Isaiah 11:1-9

As young family, Tom and I sometimes struggled financially, especially through
Christmas. Unable to purchase a tree one year, I decided to take Becky, our 8-year-old
daughter, on a great adventure into the woods behind our house to search for “The
Perfect Tree”. We bundled up and ventured out into the cold. Not wanting to
participate in this nonsense, Tom stayed, but agreed to cut and carry it if we were
successful.

Becky and I trudged the forest for an hour, searching without luck. Each evergreen
found was scraggly, bent, or too big. Deflated, and unable to feel our toes, we sadly
turned back toward the house.

And then…there, on the edge of our yard, fifty feet from the house, stood “The Perfect
Tree”.

It was right in front of us, but in our haste to get to the woods, we missed it!

Smirking, Tom came out of the house with a chainsaw. He had been watching, in
warmth, through the window, waiting for us to realize our mistake!

Isaiah 11 describes a Messiah that was to come to the earth in power and judgement
saving the Jewish nation from the harsh grasp of the Roman Empire. They missed,
however, the context of the scripture. Isaiah was indeed describing Jesus, but in the era
of His Millennial reign. Christ’s first appearing was much more subtle. He came
humbly, as a babe, and as the Suffering Servant described in Chapter 53. While
steadily focused on his Second and Glorious Appearing, they sadly missed His First
Appearing, the perfect Savior by means of a cruel cross.

May we find Him in both. He’s the Lion and the Lamb. The search is over, and He is
perfect!

Sandy McElfresh

Posted in Advent, Advent Devotional