Trees In the Forest

You have heard the expression “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” Have you ever really considered this saying? I thought I understood the meaning of this expression, but I never saw it as clearly as I am about to attempt to share.

I had the occasion to drive out of St. Louis southwest on Interstate 44 in the summertime. As the Interstate leaves the metropolitan St. Louis area, it passes through one of the prettiest scenic forests in the midwest. I have always said that if you want to showcase St. Louis to a visitor who has never seen the city before, coming into the area on Interstate 44 is a fine way to start a good impression.

While driving through this lovely, winding, hilly, forest area, I was caught up in the awesome majesty of God’s creation as I took in the sights of greenery that are formed by the simple beauty of the forests. Because of the way the light hit the forests and the rolling lushness of the trees collectively, I was just drawn to whisper to myself, “Thank you, God, it sure is pretty!” Many of you have probably had this same type of experience from time to time while you were driving somewhere in the country.

As the highway continued and the forest drew closer to the highway in spots, I became aware of something else. I saw more clearly that the individual trees making up these gorgeous forests were often greatly disfigured in appearance. Some were gnarled and or twisted, some half green and half dead looking. Some had hardly any leaves, while others had plenty. Some were dwarfed and some were tall, but sparse. There was also what appeared to be a lot of dead bark. But individually - whether they were thin, thick, tall or twisted - they all reached up toward the sunlight the best they could so that they might have life, and I‘m sure their roots went as deep as they were able.

I began to see a parallel between those trees, the forest, and the Body of Christ. We are a motley crew of people who in our attempts to seek the Son (like the trees attempting to seek the sun), are not necessarily beautiful or even balanced looking. Individually, we are far from the perfection of the Tree of Life. Yet, corporately, we are able to appear as a mountain of life and beauty manifesting the glory of our God.

As God looks down on His “forest”, He sees it beautiful with a covering of the righteousness of Jesus. God is not discouraged because of the discoloration or configuration of individual trees. I’ve often been discouraged because I could see how far each of us in the Body had to go to be anything like the beauty and majesty of Jesus. Yet I know that Jesus lives within each Christian and His Life will ultimately be manifested to others, somehow, someway. The Father sees Jesus in each Christian no matter how thin, thick, tall or twisted.

I sense that God is awakening me to see Christ in a new way, in the corporate Body. I have always seen Jesus as He relates to me personally - His life, death, and example for me. In many ways, it was “Jesus and I” against the world! Christianity was almost like a Body of individual believers trying to please God. I had my own way of “not seeing the forest for the trees”.

Although we should and we must seek Christ one on One and each develop our own root system to get our nourishment individually, we still represent One Body - Christ’s! It is possible to forget this in developing our awareness of Christ within.

Unfortunately, and sadly to me, most of the world also sees the conditions of each of the trees in our Christian forest - our far from powerful or perfected lives, our multitude of dividing doctrines, many hardened hearts, the hypocrisies of many of our words and actions, and our great lack of compassion. Over all the earth, except for some who seem evergreen, the forest of Christianity has a somewhat barren appearance. Many in the world see us corporately as foolish and narrow-minded, old-fashioned and hypocritical. THEY CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES. They look at the discolorations and deformities of individual trees and equate this to the life of the whole forest.

Then I felt reminded that in the sovereignty of God, there are seasons for everything. Part of the marvel of the gorgeous green forest is that it is not always like that. It too has a time for “sleeping”, if you will. During this time the forest is not a thing of beauty. In fact, it is barren in most places. The leaves of all, but the evergreens, are non-existent, because they have fallen to the ground to be “transformed”. Interestingly, by their “transforming” the dead leaves actually get blended into the earth to form, with the other dead life, necessary nutrients that later give life to the trees, which in their proper season, again bud forth with new life!

This “natural” cycle of life from death is a very spiritual principle. Within the Body of Christ itself, historically, there has been an ebb and flow of beauty and desirability. The world has at times seen a beautiful forest because most of the individual trees are beautiful. But there have been times when the Body, the Church, Christianity, has been out of season - individual trees very barren.

As our lives get changed from within by the healing counsel of the Holy Spirit creating a trust in the guidance and power of Christ, we are able to let our “old life” way of thinking die. We become aware of the new Life of a tree in the forest of God. We are able to help others with wise counsel, healing and unconditional love. We bring forth new leaves which are for the world to see arid enjoy.

Leaves have many purposes beyond giving fullness of beauty to the trees. Leaves continue the process of life to humans by what they give off - oxygen. They also provide shelter for many. Many trees also produce fruit to feed the hungry. We understand this both in the natural and spiritually. When by God’s Hand, our season comes to blossom, this is what the world will see as they observe our forest.

Every human I know, whether Christian or not, seems to love the season of Spring. Who can resist the joy of the beauty and fragrance of the miraculous “springing forth” of new life?

I believe that the Spring of God’s forest is coming in its season. God is awakening His people of this “season” from their slumber. In a world which needs beauty, needs oxygen, needs shelter, needs nourishing fruit, the “trees” of God will begin to make the “forest” of the Body of Christ look increasingly more attractive to unbelievers.

Then the world will see the forest
BECAUSE OF THE TREES!

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