Nature Camping Devotion

Branch

John 15:5-6 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. Branch is part of a tree – Jesus was nailed to a tree to die for our sins. Isaiah 4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

Rock

Rock is God, Christ. Solid and Trustworthy. Mentioned 24 times in Psalms that God is our Rock. Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. Rock is also PROTECTION. Later, Moses was literally between a rock and a hard place in the wilderness — and for his own good. God hid him in the “cleft of the rock” and covered him with His hand for protection (Ex. 33:22). With these background experiences, Moses was the first in Scripture to use the word “rock” in a figurative sense in connection with God. “The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice” (Deut. 32:4; cf. vv. 13,15,18,30,31,37). Others in Israel would speak of God in the same figurative way. Hannah prayed, “There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2). David praised God as the Rock in his “royal thanksgiving song” and in his “last song” (2 Sam. 22:2,3,32,47;23:3). “[God] led thee through the great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions, and thirsty ground where was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint” (Deut. 8:15). The word “rock” is equated with the idea of strength. Rock was used to build walls, fortresses, and towers in Bible times. God is our source of strength in times of distress and danger. God is also our refuge. Like Moses, we can hide in the cleft of “the Rock.” God will care for us. “Rock” also typifies something about the nature of God. He is solid as a rock. He is unchangeable in nature — immutable. Moses had this in mind when he spoke of God’s ways and justice (Deut. 32:4)

Different Leaves

Leaves – life, fruiting, alive. Different leaves – we are uniquely different Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Matthew 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: Revelations 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations. Leaf, Leaves. The word occurs in the Authorized Version either in singular or plural number in three different senses. Leaf of a tree. The righteous are often compared to green leaves. ( Jeremiah 17:8 ) The ungodly, on the other hand, are "as an oak whose leaf fadeth." ( Isaiah 1:30 ) Leaves of doors. The hebrew word, which occurs very many times in the Bible, and which in ( 1 Kings 6:32 ) (margin) and 1Kin 6:34 is translated "leaves" in the Authorized Version, signifies beams, ribs, sides, etc. Leaves of a book or roll occurs in this sense only in ( Jeremiah 36:23 ) The Hebrew word (literally doors ) would perhaps be more correctly translated columns.

Soil

What you plant is what you get Luke 8:15 - But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience. Soil of our heart – to be fertile or fruiting or not Genesis 3:17-19 - And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;   (Read More...) Matthew 13:3-9 - And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;  (Read More...) Ultimately our body will become ashes and dust – 8 to 12 years to be just skeletons. Then 40-50 years for Skeletons to disappear.