The Tree Stand
December 23, 2015
Matthew 7:24 – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
At our house the most challenging part of putting up a Christmas tree is getting it to stand straight. We pick out the best, the fattest, the fullest tree and that takes a least three Christmas tree lots. The base of the tree is straightened even before we put it in the truck to come home. But once it is home, that is when the hard part starts. While one person holds the tree, the other person is putting on the stand. This year we had to cut some of the lowest branches off so the tree trunk would go all the way to the bottom of the stand. Virginia is always telling me how the tree won’t look right if we cut off these branches. But if we want the tree to stand, these branches have to go. The trunk of the tree must be firmly against the bottom of the stand or it will fall. Every year I think we need a wider stand and a stronger and heavier base to hold up the large branches of the tree. It doesn’t seem logical that 6 screws on a piece of plastic will be enough support to hold up an 8 foot tree. But somehow it does. If the base of the trunk is settled firmly down into the stand and if we do all we can to hold the tree straight and the screws are tight, the tree stands. Our life is like this tree in many ways. If we are not standing on the Word of God, if our life is not firmly planted on the life of Christ, we can’t stand. Our lives must be secure on God’s Word and the life of Christ for us to have a secure and firm foundation.
At our house the most challenging part of putting up a Christmas tree is getting it to stand straight. We pick out the best, the fattest, the fullest tree and that takes a least three Christmas tree lots. The base of the tree is straightened even before we put it in the truck to come home. But once it is home, that is when the hard part starts. While one person holds the tree, the other person is putting on the stand. This year we had to cut some of the lowest branches off so the tree trunk would go all the way to the bottom of the stand. Virginia is always telling me how the tree won’t look right if we cut off these branches. But if we want the tree to stand, these branches have to go. The trunk of the tree must be firmly against the bottom of the stand or it will fall. Every year I think we need a wider stand and a stronger and heavier base to hold up the large branches of the tree. It doesn’t seem logical that 6 screws on a piece of plastic will be enough support to hold up an 8 foot tree. But somehow it does. If the base of the trunk is settled firmly down into the stand and if we do all we can to hold the tree straight and the screws are tight, the tree stands. Our life is like this tree in many ways. If we are not standing on the Word of God, if our life is not firmly planted on the life of Christ, we can’t stand. Our lives must be secure on God’s Word and the life of Christ for us to have a secure and firm foundation.