But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.
I will always trust in God’s unfailing love. (Psalm 52:8)

What’s it like to be an olive tree? David compared himself to one. We don’t have olive trees in our region, so I had to do some research to learn what David was talking about. Here are some characteristics of an olive tree. Let’s assess our lives and see if we, too, can affirm ourselves as David did.

• Olive trees are hearty and enjoy a long life. There are olive trees alive today that were alive in Middle Ages.
• They bear fruit as well as oil for soothing, anointing, and enhancing food.
• Olive branches are symbols of peace.
• Olive wood is exceptionally hard wood, and many lovely articles can be made with it. Once an olive tree is no longer fruitful, it can live on for years in the form of useful and beautiful objects that adorn homes.

Father,

I am asking you for a long and fruitful life, a life that yields joy for others around me for many years to come. May I offer a balm for pain as well as anointing for power in people’s callings in the Kingdom of God. Make me an agent of peace and reconciliation between races and people of all sorts of backgrounds and beliefs. And when I’m no longer bearing fruit in this world, make me useful to my descendants through the tools I hand down to them – skills, knowledge, wisdom, and, most of all, a genuine love for you and adherence to your Word that gives life.

Amen