![]() Then he said, Well, from the roots, I guess. He stopped for a moment and looked at the tree. Well, I said, tell me this: What makes this tree beautiful and strong? Where does it get its beauty and its strength? And those are exactly the two things you want in your own life, aren't they? Beauty and strength? Those are the two things you admire about this tree. ![]() He looked at the tremendous Douglas fir, towering up into the heavens above, and said, Well, the first thing is, it's strong. ![]() What does it remind you of? What are the qualities this tree suggests to you? I stepped back and said to him, Look at this tree we're under. Just then this very phrase from the Psalms flashed into my mind: He is like a tree planted by streams of water. He hung his head and said, Well, I admit I don't do very much of that. I said to him, Well, there may be several reasons for that, but, first of all, let me ask you this: What about your private life with the Lord? How well do you know Him? How much do you delight in reading His Word and then spending time talking to Him? Because, after all, it's not the time you spend in reading the Word that's important, but it's the time you spend in enjoying the presence of God that strengthens you. I want to be a good Christian, and I try hard, but somehow I just never seem to make it. We stood together underneath a great Douglas fir, and he said, Pastor, I don't know what is the matter with me. Many years ago when I attended a youth conference in the Sierra Nevada, a young man came to me and took me aside.
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