FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
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2020 Advent Devotional

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

The Branch of the Lord

Read Isaiah 4:2-6
Devotional by Craig Whitley

Our mountain neighbors grow apple trees. For  decades, and from a remote Ashe County farm, they have collected and propagated rare heirloom Appalachian apple varieties. While they make a modest living, this is a labor of love. Our neighbors aim to save these obscure varieties from extinction and to restore them to their former glory, one sapling at a time.
Apple conservation  isn’t easy. Planting seeds from the old tree won’t cut it—the seedling grows up to be something else. So, my neighbors graft, splicing a cutting from the father tree onto young rootstock. The rootstock doesn’t much matter. Any young apple tree will do. However, the cutting must be special: young, straight, strong, and ready to bud-the kind of shoot found up high on the sunny side of the old tree. Once grafted, special shoot and ordinary rootstock grow together. A year later, you have a new tree, just like the old one.

Seems to me, God wanted a special tree. He had some decent rootstock in the line of David, but from long experience he knew that wasn’t enough to produce the tree he wanted. So, God reached up high on the sunny side and chose Jesus Christ, the Messiah - Isaiah’s branch that springs from the stock of David. And as the prophet describes in today’s passage, in due time that inspired union will produce the Kingdom Eternal, to say nothing of our own redemption and salvation.
Apples or humans, God is quite the conservationist. To our eternal blessing.

Prayer The Lord’s been good to me, and so I thank the Lord. For giving me the things I need, the Sun, the rain, and this most special apple tree. The Lord’s been good to me. AMEN.

Read Daily Devotionals by clicking on the links below.
November 29, 2020: Great Expectations by Beth Silver
November 30, 2020: A New Beginning by Roger Rizk
​December 1, 2020: Walk in his Paths by Helen Rogers
​December 2, 2020: Exhortation to Watch by Davidson Hobson
​December 3, 2020: He will Revive Us by Sarah Sumner
December 4, 2020: Still Small Voice by Coleman Efird
December 5, 2020: The Authority of Jesus Challenged by Grady Kennington
December 6, 2020: John the Baptist Prepares the Way by Bobby Sumner
December 7, 2020: Earnestly Seeking You by Mallory and William Trogdon
December 8, 2020: The Branch of the Lord by Craig Whitley
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Download a PDF copy of The Audacity of Advent
​by clicking here.

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First Presbyterian Church

Contact Us

Address
​1621 E. Garrison Blvd.
​Gastonia, N.C. 28054
Phone
(704) 864-2651
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Affiliated with: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Presbytery of Western North Carolina
Copyright © 2020 First Presbyterian Church, Gastonia, N.C.
  • Home
  • About
    • Visitors
    • What We Believe
    • Our Staff
    • Pastoral Search
  • Worship
    • Services
    • Livestream
    • Music
  • Faith Formation
    • Adults
    • Youth
    • Children
  • Outreach
    • Local Missions
    • Global Missions
    • Pastoral Care
    • Parish Nurse Ministry
  • Giving
    • Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Stewardship
  • Connect
    • Calendar
    • Videos
    • Weekly Announcements
    • Resources
  • More
    • COVID-19 Updates
    • Presbyterian Weekday School
    • Mother's Morning Out