On being an olive tree...

I've been reading some of the Bible psalms this past week in my morning times with the Lord. At the weekend, I got as far as Psalm 52. Much of the psalm is a reproach to a lying enemy, but right at the end, vs 8 - 9, there are two verses about the psalmist himself, and he begins by describing himself like an olive tree. There are various points in the psalms where the writer compares the righteous to trees - perhaps because of the stability and longevity that trees represent. Palm trees, cedars of Lebanon, trees planted by streams of water… and in this case, an olive tree.

Now that I live in a region where olive trees are plentiful, it's interesting to reflect on the qualities of that particular kind of tree. It's a strong tree, not fragile or easily destroyed. It survives for a long time; some olive trees are known to be hundreds or even thousands of years old. Even when an olive tree is chopped down, it's not quickly destroyed. One of my neighbours, just last week, was telling me that the reason olive is so popular as firewood is because it's slow burning. In comparing himself to a thriving olive tree, the psalmist was no doubt thinking of that kind of strength and stability - survival potential amidst life's trials.

Olive wood is not only strong, it's also beautiful - sometimes chosen for wooden utensils because of the gnarled patterns it makes. God longs to produce beauty in our lives, even if we, like the olive tree, are not particularly big or impressive.
And then there's the fruit it produces: hundreds and thousands of little green olives - such abundance of fruitfulness!

Spain is the number one olive producer in the world, so it's not surprising I see so many olive trees when I'm out walking the dog or driving in the car. As in other olive-growing countries, about 90% of the olive crop goes into the production of olive oil, that staple of Mediterranean cuisine, and the most expensive of the oils you can buy in the supermarket. About 10% of the crop will become "table olives," so often given as a snack or an appetiser before meals in this part of the world.

It's interesting that table olives can be so expensive in some countries, while here they're so plentiful. In fact, sometimes it seems almost wasteful: when I'm out walking the dog on the mountain behind my house, we pass so many wild olive trees, laden with fruit that no one will ever eat. Often there are ripe olives scattered all over the ground, apparently wasted, and we trample them underfoot. (No one picks them the way people help themselves to the wild figs, because figs can be eaten and enjoyed right away, but olives need a long process of curing and fermentation, sometimes requiring months of soaking in brine. )

Buba poses in front of a small olive tree

For us as Christians, it can sometimes seem at times that the fruit of our lives is being wasted: no one saw or appreciated that choice we made to be patient, or to forgive instead of being resentful; no one benefits from the accumulated wisdom of our many hours of reading God's Word; no one is aware of our courage and perseverance when we face challenging circumstances in our personal or family life. It seems like wasted fruit, scattered on the ground and trampled underfoot. But the truth is that nothing is wasted in God's sight. He saw that choice to give a gentle reply instead of an angry retort. He was watching when we chose to believe the best, rather than judging someone. He wept with us when we kept trusting Him despite great personal pain that other people were oblivious to. Even when the fruit of our lives feels like those "wasted" wild olives, God is aware of every tiny detail of our godly choices, and the beauty coming from our lives brings great joy to His heart.

Yes, there are some Christians whose lives become available for "public consumption," but like those table olives or cold-pressed olive oil, it's usually after they've been through a long and gruelling time of preparation: their child was abducted, they came through a life-threatening illness, or they were put in prison for their faith. Unlike the "wasted fruit" on the mountain, those oil olives or table olives have been pressed and crushed, waiting through long seasons where they felt forgotten or were drowning as they struggled to keep their heads above water. It's understandable that many of us would be secretly relieved to be a "wild and wasted" olive tree instead of suffering through that long preparation process.

In fact, though, we're all  "in preparation" - whether our fruit is very public or whether it appears to be largely unseen. All of us make choices every day that determine what sort of person we will be and what sort of fruit we will bear for the kingdom of God. Whether we're positioned in a public place or on a relatively isolated mountain path, all of us are masters of our own outcome in this aspect: whether we will be a barren tree or a fruitful tree in the house of God.

So, in vs 8 - 9 of Psalm 52, amidst his own difficult circumstances, the writer, David, mentions some of the things that help him thrive/flourish like an olive tree:

• I will always trust in God's unfailing love
• I will praise you forever, God, for what you have done
• I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people

All of us can do these things: 

• trusting in God's love and character (His good name)
• being thankful for what he's already done
• and hanging out with the right kind of people, who will have a positive influence on us

Whether our lives are public or relatively hidden, these things are keys to being like a fruitful olive tree in God's sight.