Tina and I finally took our Christmas tree down last night.  Really, “finally” isn’t a good word.  “Grudgingly” would be better.  I know, I know – it’s almost the middle of January, but we enjoy our tree.  The lights, the smell, and the many old decorations that spark good memories are things we love about it each year.  And this year’s tree stayed fresh and looked great, so we left it up.  But last night it was time, and as we began removing the decorations and lights, I noticed how dry it had become.  As good a tree as it was, it was still going to dry out (as evidenced by the trail of needles it left as I carried it through the house and to my truck) and have to be tossed.  Then, as I swept up the needles and thought about it, a “Pastor’s Heart” thought hit me.  It was the lesson of Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”  That’s one of the many truths I love about the Word of God.  It never dies.  It’s never dry.  It never goes out of style.  It’ll never have to be tossed out for a new one or replaced by an artificial.  It is an eternal book that has been, is, and always will be alive, fresh, relevant, and effective.  Next year I’ll have to pick out another Christmas tree, but I’ll pick up the same Bible to read the Christmas story because, as the prophet Isaiah said, it “shall stand forever”!