"THE GLORY OF LEBANON SHALL BE GIVEN TO IT."
ISAIAH 35:2 NKJV
Towering above the other cedars that grew on the mountains of Lebanon was the tall cedar. However, its strength was not in its height but in the depth of its root system. It's said that the tall cedar could bend almost to the ground without breaking, and come back stronger. Today God uses tall cedars to build great churches.
The new birth is only 5% of the process; the other 95% is growing up into spiritual maturity. "Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity" (Heb 5:12-6:1 NIV). Note the words "who by constant use have trained themselves [in the Scriptures]." You can't be like the old farmer who always testified at the Wednesday night prayer meeting: "I'm not making much progress, but thank God I'm established." One spring when his tractor was bogged down, its wheels spinning but going nowhere, the pastor happened to drive by. Rolling down his window, the preacher smiled and said: "Think of it this way brother; you may not be making much progress, but thank God you're established." No more excuses for immaturity! You must strive to be "mature and full grown in the Lord...becoming more and more in every way like Christ" (See Eph 4:13 NLT).
