BE A REDWOOD

A few weeks ago I shared with you all a dream about “Redwood Land”. I want today to share what the Lord has impressed in my mind this past week when He said “Be a Redwood”

Redwood trees are a very particular type of tree, not only because of the amazing heights they reach and the long life they have, in fact one of the longest spans of time in the world of plants, but also because of some not so widely spread facts about their life and their interaction with their environment.

I want to refer here to three aspects in the life of a Redwood tree that we can take as examples for our Christian life and in fact in our pursuance of revival.

LIGHT:

Redwoods use sunlight so efficiently (4 times more than pines) that they can grow even in deep shade.

They can grow higher than any other tree because they are continually reaching up in search of light, but also because they make good use of what they have.

How many times we Christians complain about what we lack not realizing that we are not actually using what we have?

Next time you look around and see so much darkness surrounding you, begin to look upward because even in the deepest of shadows there is light coming in: use it!

WATER:

How long have we been praying for rain? Maybe we need to start taking some lesson from these hydrostatic marvels called redwoods. During the dry summers in California, the coast redwoods actually create their own "rain" by condensing heavy fog into drenching showers that provide moisture to the roots below.

This brings me back to Genesis where we read that dew watered the earth. It makes me think that what happened in Eden was that the plants and trees of the garden did exactly as the redwoods, condensing the water from the water vapor that surrounded them and then let the “rain” fall from them to water the earth.

How many times have we complained about the “fogs” around us, when we cannot see clearly, our future seems so uncertain because the “fog” does not let us see. How about being a redwood? Condense the waters that surround you in the forms of “spiritual vapors” and start raining down refreshing drops that will nurture your own roots and that of those surrounding you.

FIRE:

Redwoods have a thick protective bark rich in tannin (hence the reddish color) that makes them fire resistant. While everything around might be burnt in a forest fire the redwoods will still stay up unharmed. Actually a fire around them might be beneficial as it can eliminate noxas, dangers in the forms of bacteria or fungus or even other plants.

The Lord has told us in Isaiah 43:2 “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” NKJV

Be a redwood like Christian, covered by the protection of the Blood of the Lamb you can stand against the fires of adversity, to the point where the fires designed to damage you would actually benefit you.

But there is yet another aspect that comes to my mind and relates not to the fires of trials but to the Fire of God. We read in Ex 3:2 “So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” NKJV

Christians, the Fire of God can burn in us! We can be like that plant that burned and was not consumed; a Fire that causes all to come and see the wonder, people stirred up to come and see what is this Fire that burns in us and we are not harmed!. Wesley said about revival “I set myself on fire and people come to see me burning”

SUPPORT:

The root system of the redwood tree is surprisingly shallow, especially given the great height the mature tree attains. There is no tap root and the other roots may reach no deeper than 6-10 feet.

In some sense we can say a redwood seems to be more concerned to reach the sky than to tap from the earth sources. What a wonderful example of what we Christians should do. Our eyes and hearts toward heaven, to the place where our Father of Lights abides.

However there is more to it. We know that with no tap root there is a loss of stability which might cause a tree to fall; but here is another marvelous lesson we can gather from nature: one way in which the redwood trees are able to remain upright for millennia is by growing pretty close together with other redwood trees, intermingling root systems.

Wow! They support one another by being close together, growing very close to each other, and inter-mingling their roots: they build a network of roots and also the branches help support one another! Oh precious God what an example you have given us! It is not just per chance that God created the Church; the Church should actually be like this network of roots and branches that support one another while at the same time we grow upwards; if this is not happening we need to look at ourselves: could it be that we have become so isolated, so private, so selfish that we are trying to grow alone, receiving no support and alas! giving none either?

My friend, let me encourage you today: Be a redwood! Stand firm! Use what God has given you! Don’t despair! The Spirit of God is in you, start raining from the water you have! Let the Fires of revival burn in you, don’t be afraid! Again: Be a redwood!