The Redwoods of Muir

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:1-10 ESV). Mary and I have vacationed in San Francisco and Sonoma Valley. We did some sightseeing while we were there, though most of the time was spent doing absolutely nothing. One of the tours we took was very interesting. We visited Muir Woods, home to some of California’s giant Redwoods. If you have been to Yosemite or Sequoia National Park you have enjoyed the beauty of these majestic Redwoods. They are so huge that cars can drive through them. Pictures cannot do them justice in their majesty. A quiet walk through the canopy of redwoods is a wonderful way to spend some time. There is an interesting fact about these trees. They reach so high you can't see the tops, however they have a very shallow root system. The roots practically lay on top of the ground. When you consider the height and weight of the trees and the high winds in the mountains, it is amazing that these trees don't come crashing down during the first storm. The answer is in the forest itself. The forest saves the trees. It is the grove factor, the trees growing in proximity to one another help the great Redwoods to withstand nature's onslaught. What happens is the roots reach out in all directions and they get tangled up with the roots from other Redwoods. The roots grow together, intertwining with each other and creating a stabilizing root bed that helps each tree continue to stand. A lone Redwood tree growing alone wouldn't last long, but a Redwood forest can last for thousands of years. That's the way it should be with us as believers. We need to be "knit together in love" to grow strong, to be stable and to be able to stand as Christians. God has established the forest, which we call the church in which we are to grow. We sink our roots into the local body and become entwined with each other's lives. Then when the storms of life start blowing, we too, are stabilized and able to withstand the winds of affliction, temptation and persecution. The church should be our second family. They are that important to our stability. Root yourself in a strong family!