Psalm 90:17 — “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us…”
I often drive through Hollywood Cemetery as part of my morning devotional. It is a place where stillness speaks, where time slows down just enough for the heart to listen. This morning, I also went looking for the last gifts of fall—hoping to catch a glimpse of color before winter settled in. But as I made my way down the winding paths, I noticed that most, if not all, of the trees had already surrendered their leaves. Their color had faded. Their branches stood bare under a blue sky, quiet and almost resigned.
But then—there it was.
Tucked away on a little rise stood a single golden tree. Bright. Defiant. Glowing like a lamp in the early morning light. It had held on to its beauty when every other tree had let go. And as I stood there looking at it, I felt something stir inside me.
This is what we do, isn’t it? We move through the days searching—sometimes wandering—hoping to find something bright, something meaningful, something that reassures us that life still holds wonder. We look for purpose. We look for hope. We long for something that will anchor us when the world feels gray or empty.
And so often, we look everywhere but the one place that truly satisfies.
That golden tree reminded me that Jesus is the One thing that never fades.
Everything else loses its color.
Everything else eventually falls away.
But Christ remains.
In Him, the light is never out of season.
In Him, grace is never bare.
In Him, there is always beauty, always purpose, always life.
Walking away from that tree, I realized that what I was really searching for that morning wasn’t autumn color—it was a reminder of God’s faithfulness. And God, in His kindness, offered it in the form of one stubborn tree standing bright against the November sky.
Maybe today you’re looking for something—a sign of hope, clarity in a confusing season, a sense of meaning in the middle of ordinary hours.
Look to Jesus.
He is the golden tree in every landscape.
He is the One who stands steady when all else changes.
He is the beauty that does not fade.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for meeting us in unexpected places. Help us to look for You with open eyes and open hearts. When the world around us feels faded, remind us that Your presence is still bright, still faithful, still enough. Amen.
Conversations from the Couch 