Resting Beneath The Apple Tree

Song of Solomon 2:3, “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. “

What a magnificent portrait we see here of the love of Christ for His dear bride. Although this is to be the bride speaking to the King, and referring to Him as a grand thing among common places, we also see that by this wonderful King we have a place to come and find life. How lovely our Beloved is to the soul that once was lost but now is found as resting under the shadow of His grand provision. What great pleasure it is to rest beneath the branches of His loving care. O’ what splendid joy comes to those that eat from the limbs of the Savior.

When I was younger we had home in Wilmington Ohio. There were many trees upon the landscape, and a big forest was behind our property. Our property line connected to the Cowan Lake state park area, so there were many creatures that would run about our land safely for the rules of the state park forbid harming them. One of my best memories of living at that home was the apple tree that was in the middle of our backyard. Not that I ate the apples that often, but more so because there was a doe and two fawns that would camp around our property, and many times would come to the tree and dwell, eating the fallen apples on the ground. The reason this picture stuck in my mind so vividly is because the mother deer only had three legs. When we first spotted her, she had all four legs, but when we seen her the next time she was walking with a broken limp. She must have somehow gotten out of the safety zone of the state park forest, and become wounded by either a car, or a hunter or something of that nature. But she was now coming back to our yard with her young to find the assured satisfaction of the apple tree she had left. It is true, if she would have just stayed within the view of the apple tree, she would have had no harm come to her. But she left her safety zone, and now come back limping, missing a significant member of her body.

Dear soul, as the bride of Christ, He has made available to you the provision you need for life. There is no other tree in the forest that will bring such life, as the apple tree. Just as it is very beautiful to spot an apple tree in a forest of oaks, and very uncommon, so is Christ to the born again believer. Christ becomes beautiful to the regenerate man. It becomes a delight to just set under His branches, and absorb all rest from knowing you are in the shadow of Life. Just as the little doe found safety for her young and herself under the apple tree in our yard, so will you find safety in the shadow of Christ. Not every born again saint has found this rest under the apple tree. It comes from that spending time in His presence, and coming to a deep trust in His love. Beloved, don’t leave the safe zone of the apple tree, or you may come back limping. Just allow your heart to find rest and life… in the provision Christ has available for you. Learn to rest beneath the Apple Tree.