Growth

The past two weeks the audit train has stopped in a county in the north of California known as Humboldt. Right now I am enjoying the deluxe accomodations of the HoJo up here in Arcata, CA. Now, I don't know how many of you have ever been up to Arcata but let me just paint a picture for you. Arcata is a coastal village that has a town square that reminds me of a skateboad chase scene from Back to the Future. The fog is there when you wake up, may roll in and out a few times during the day, and rolls back in at night. It is home to Humboldt State University and it seems as if half of the town "is just passing through."

The things that I like the best about Humboldt is simple. The trees.

(Now, first of all let me say that I don't like the trees in the way that some of the people up here like the trees). There is something about the way that you see the huge trees and seemingly endless forests up here that makes you want to just stop and take a picture. (Seeing as how I am in the audit room all day, I didn't actually get to take the picture above, I found it on the internet.)

These trees aren't born tall. They grow tall. Recently I have been reading Holiness by J.C. Ryle and more specifically, the chapter on growth. Here is what J.C. says

"Let us know then that growth in grace is the best eviden e of spiritual health and prosperity. In a child or a flower or a tree we are all aware that when there is no growth there is something wrong. Healthy life in an animal or vegetable will always show itself by progress and increase. It is just the same with our souls. If they are progressing and doing well they will grow."

When I think about my life as a believer, I have seen growth. I am not the same person that I used to be. But that is not enough. A redwood is not satisfied after it has grown to a height of five feet. There needs to be continual growth. Ryle continues to say this:

"One thing essential to growth in grace is diligence in the use of private means of grace. By these I understand such means as a man must use by himself alone, and no one can use for him. I include under this head private prayer, private reading of the Scriptures and private meditation and self-examination. The man who does not take pains about these three things must never expect to grow. Here are the roots of true Christianity. Wrong here, a man is wrong all the way through!"

The story of my life and many of our lives right now is "busy." There are so many things (many of them good) to be done. There are places to be, people to see and a myriad of "to do's" that hunger for our time. Do you and I make time where we have nothing to do, except be with our God alone? When are we still, simply meditating on the fact that He is God?

I have made many trips from Texas to California along I-10 and as I drive through the western portion of Texas, I am always surprised to see that there are no Redwood trees. I mean, up here in Humboldt there are plenty of trees. Couldn't Humboldt spare a few so that West Texas could have some and all of the travelers on I-10 could have something pretty to look at? Redwood trees couldn't grow in West Texas because of one simple reason- Redwoods need water to grow! It rains up here in Arcata!

So it is with us. When we place ourselves in areas that are dry from the nourishment we need, we will not grow. I Peter 2:2 says, "LONG for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow..." Do you and I long for God's Word and time to be alone and to think about what it says about God and to contemplate whether or not our lives match up? We need to.

Psalm 1:1-3 says this: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the way of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in it he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water that yields forth its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither (evergreen Redwood tree) and in everything he does, he will prosper."

Join me in fighting for time to be alone with God.

Let's grow.

B. Blakey