No one enjoys the pressures of life, tragedies, or being under fire. We have a tendency to quit, pull away emotionally, or avoid opposition, and conflicts. The Lord in His divine wisdom has given a tremendous example of what can happen in the fire! Come with me to Yosemite National Park to see a powerful illustration!

The Giant Sequoia trees in the Mariposa Grove need fire! When this area was declared to be a National Park the naturally occurring fires were extinguished. Over time the development of new trees had diminished. Finally it was determined that the Giant Sequoias needed fire to reproduce. When there is a fire the brush is cleared out to make room for seeds that shoot out of the cones triggered by heat. One amazing feature of the Giant Sequoias is that the fire does not seem to affect them! Even when all the trees around them are going up in flames they are unscathed due to their virtually fireproof bark. God gave them extra thick bark to be to withstand this amazing process and protect the heart of the tree !

The Giant Sequoias do what they were created to do! Their example is powerful! When the fire comes they stand strong. They multiply during the fires! They stand as a

magnificent testament to their creator!

The Giant Sequoias were created to glorify the Lord!

Awesome!

Genesis 1:11-13 New International Version

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the

land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.”

And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their

kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Go Out with Joy by the Maranatha Singers