A Lesson From Trees

I count it a great privilege since being in the North Land of NZ, to visit some of the kauri trees that grow here. I was very impressed when I saw them. 

In Psalm 24 we read, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein." I would like to remember that verse for the rest of my days: THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S. I cannot help but feel that all we possess on the earth man has only done it by what God has given him to work with. All we can lay our hands on, God has given us. We ourselves belong to God. He has created and has given us life and has set us in a very beautiful place, in very beautiful surroundings. We belong to Him. When we look at the trees, we see God's glory. He created them as He has created us perfectly, and that is what He wants to do with us today. 

In Psalm 8:4, we read, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" When we think of this beautiful world and realize how God has created man in its midst, we can truly think "What is man?" It is not what we are but it's what we can become. When we come to a place like this, God desires to show us what we are and how we stand before Him, in His sight. What are we naturally, that God is so mindful of us?  What do we have that causes God to visit us with His Gospel? Just what do we have? 

If we trust God - it is He who has created us, in such beautiful surroundings. We can trust Him and know that He is interested in us. I was glad when Les spoke about our hearts being tender and responsive. This is the condition God wants to create in our hearts and minds. 

We can think of the kauri trees, standing in their places where God has put them. It is good for us to stand in the place that God has put us, in that place He intends we remain, to stand and give Him glory, growing and being a faithful witness of His handiwork. We can all do this and more for others, but there is one thing we must all do, and that is to stand in our place, filling it as He has planned. We can allow God to create in us some of His glory. I feel glad for that one thought that whatever circumstance we are found in, we can be and do so gracefully. God is a gracious God, and He allows us to stand in our place. 

When I looked at some of those trees, I was told they had no merchantable timber value unless their base was four feet in diameter and rightly matured. Until the tree is like that, it is of no value because the timber is too small, the heart timber is just too small, and the tree is left to mature. God desires to create in us a big heart, a heart that goes out to others, a heart that's tender and responsive, and He wants to create in us a tender heart, because our heart has the most value to Him. It is the hearts of His people that have greatest value to Him. It's nice to think that our hearts, our thoughts and our cares have that desire created in them to go out and help others. These little acts of grace can help us help another. 

Perhaps we can all help each other materialistically, but isn't it much better to help each other have a closer walk with God?  This is the greater thing that has the greater value than just thinking of ourselves. It allows the borders of our hearts to increase. It's the heart's timber that is so important to the tree. While the tree is small, mosses and lichen begin growing and they suck out the life of the tree.  If the heart is larger, these things start to drop away.  It pleases God to create that kind of state in our lives, where the little hindrances drop away which spoil our walk with God. 

When we continued to look at some of the larger trees, we noticed some mosses and lichens and other clinging things had dropped off the trees and the trees stood clear and clean and upright and were a glory to God. They stood in majesty. 

There are some other things we might mention about these trees. It saddened me to see some whose branches were broken off by the storms and water had started to decay them.  As far as God is concerned, He has created our lives and wants us to be perfect so we might go on and withstand everything. It is sad, if through weakness our faith becomes weaker; or because of experiences, our faith becomes lessened. On the other hand, God wants to make us into something which gains His very best. Oftentimes, it's experiences, whatever they are, that brings us closer and enables us to reach out to God where He can foster more of the growth marks of His Son's life in us. Then we can reflect more of God's likeness, as His perfect workmanship. He has created us and is still re-creating us and He wants to see us perfect. He wants His Son's reflection seen in our lives. If God can re-create us like this, He creates in us a desire to become closer to Him, and get to know Him better. 

In another place, I stood looking at a place where a tree had once stood, and all that remained was the stump. The stump was nineteen feet in diameter and nearby, a few branches lay. The heart is the most valuable part of that tree and it had been taken away. All that remained was a few branches lying near the stump, the remains of what was once a beautiful tree. 

God wants to take from this earth its most valuable part, so all that remains is the testimony. If we are like the good kauri tree, God will take what is most valuable to Him and He leaves behind on the earth, our testimony, just the same as the tree. All that was left behind was the tree stump and its branches. 

We can look into the Scriptures and read of the testimonies of many who went on before. For example, we can read of Abraham, and it's nice to look into his life and see his faithfulness. God took the most valuable part of Abraham back to Him, and that's what He wants from us, our good testimony on the earth. I am glad He is able to take the most valuable part back to Himself. I am sure it's the desire of all here to be perfect, to have the qualities of worth, like Christ Jesus. When our time is finished on earth and God calls us, the most valuable part will return to Him. 

We sit here today and see the need of having the hand of God re-create us so all the darkness in our hearts will go out and will help shed those things that sap us. We want those experiences that bring us closer to Him. 

When our time comes to go hence, I hope God takes our most valuable part back to Himself.