A tree planted by the water.

I have to admit it; we aren't going to get through the Bible in a year. This week, I'm on vacation with my family, attending a Family Bible camp. We're being taught great things by two very gifted speakers. I'm happy to be here.

Today, the family took a hike through what looked to be an old growth forest. Turns out, it isn't. But it is a federal reserve which has been set aside since 1952 in the goal that it will eventually regain the appearance of "old growth." It looks old enough to me. We took pictures of ourselves posed in front of trees that dwarfed even the biggest members of our family. I kept thinking, "my hips are 37 inches around. And I take up this tiny bit of the front of this enormous tree... How big around is that trunk?"

Using old math formulas, we came up with diameters nearing twenty feet. Shocking!

And those trees remind me of a little scripture found in Psalm One, "And he will be like a tree planted by the water. His leaves will not wither..."

The trees on our hike were planted in the richest of volcanic soil, with a virtually limitless source of water. They had stood against the winds of endless winter storms. They had resisted drought, insects, forest fires, moss, lichen, and who knows how many other onslaughts. In the face of westerly winds off the Pacific Ocean, they didn't shrink, they grew strong and tall and straight. In fact, Oregon Spruce is prized by instrument makers for its fine, straight grain.

So, who will be like this kind of tree? According to Psalm One, it is he who studies and obeys the Law of the Lord. This is the process we are comitted to -- whether we finish in one year or ten. We are committed to knowing and observing God's Word. When you open your eyes, his illustrations are all around us. I want to be a tree like those giants I saw today. I want to know the Word, and to grow strong and straight -- and to withstand adversity. It was a great hike; wish you were here!

Bette