The Olive Tree

But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.

      I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.

I will praise You forever, O God,

      for what You have done.

   I will trust in Your good name

      in the presence of Your faithful people.  Psalm 52: 8,9

The olive tree is very sturdy and lives for hundreds of years. It cannot be easily uprooted or killed. It thrives with or without rain.

The tree generates shoots which grow out of the base of the tree and are called in Hebrew notzir. This both ensures the protection of the trunk of the tree and provides the next generation of the tree.

The olive tree is an evergreen. It has silver green leaves all year. As it loses leaves it is constantly replenishing itself so that it is always showing life.

The common method of harvesting olives from the time of the Patriarchs was to hit the tree with sticks. As the olives fell and broke some oil came from the olive on the gathering sheets.

One can only be called a green olive tree because of what He has done, because of His faithfulness.  Roots dug down deep can draw from His steady stream of love and mercy and provision. It is nothing of the goodness or cleverness that it produces fruit.  It simply clings to the rock.