Trees of Righteousness

Isaiah 61:3

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Righteous living is always beneficial, not only to the one living right, but for others who benefit from God’s blessing on their lives. God said our lives should be trees of righteousness. Righteousness is not a static life that does nothing for God, but it is a life of righteous actions, actions that God commands us to live. Righteousness is not living to make me look good, but it is doing right to help others to do right. Just to name a few actions of righteousness, soul winning, working a bus route, teaching a Sunday school class, restoring a life that has been destroyed by sin, encouraging people in nursing homes, and working in a church are all a few of the actions of righteousness.

Now, it is interesting that God compares righteousness to a tree. Trees have many benefits that compare to what living a life of righteousness does. Let me share several things your life will become if you choose to live a life to become a tree of righteousness.

First, trees provide oxygen so others can breathe. You ought to be a tree that spreads the oxygen of God’s Word to the lost so they can be saved. Spending your life spreading the Gospel is the greatest way to be a tree of righteousness. Every time someone gets saved, you have been a tree that gave the oxygen of the Gospel so someone else could breathe and receive life eternal.

Second, trees provide shade from the heat of the sun. Your life ought to be a shade to those who are going through tough times. You ought to be a relief to everyone whose paths you cross. I daily ask God to lead me across the path of someone that I can lead to Him, and to cross the path of someone who I can cheer up. Our desire ought to be a tree of righteousness that spreads joy to those who are enduring tough times. You cannot be negative or a gossip and be a tree of righteousness at the same time. However, you can be a tree of righteousness by choosing to live a life your life to spread joy to others. There is nothing you can do in the world that compares to spreading the joy of Christ to those who are enduring the heat of sin or the heat of trials.

Third, trees give fruit to nourish and feed others. Trees don't produce fruit to eat themselves, but to produce fruit for others to eat. An orange tree does not eat oranges; rather, it produces oranges so that you and I can have orange juice or consume the orange itself. Your life should produce fruit of righteousness in others. You will never produce fruit from your life without investing your life in others. One reason you should be involved in ministry is so that you can produce fruit. By teaching a Sunday school class or running a bus route,  you produce in others what God has done in your life, which results in having your life produce fruit.

Fourth, trees produce other trees. A tree is the product of another tree, but one tree often produces seeds to create new trees. Your life affects many other lives, and if you live a life of doing right, you can produce enough fruit that results in many lives becoming trees of righteousness. It is not enough just to have fruit; you need to produce fruit from your life that has acts of righteousness so that we can produce many trees that perpetuate God’s heritage to future generations.