Sunflower Faith

Join AmyDeanne and others at "The 160 Acre Woods" for Word Filled Wednesday

Did you know that the oak tree was the most likely tree to be blown over in a hurricane or strong windstorm?

My father-in-law shared this fact with me as we were all discussing about the hurricane that had blown through.

Needless to say, curiousity got the best of me and I wanted to know why is it, an oak tree, can be easily uprooted.

Turns out there are certain oak trees, that although they are gorgeous and pleasing to the eye, have very shallow roots.The same can be said about our faith.

How strong is your faith rooted in God?

We may have that pleasing faith that is easy on the eyes and easy on our lifestyles and bring approval, but in the event of a bad storm or life issue, can easily, like some oaks, be uprooted.

What brought this back to mind was listening to a sermon talking about what was more important investing in, wasn’t in our homes that one day, will no longer be there, but in our personal relationship with Our Heavenly Father.

This got me to thinking about roots and how strong is our faith rooted in our Heavenly Father when faced with difficulties. How strong is our faith rooted in our Heavenly Father and not in the world around us?

Do we invest more in the materials of this world that one day will rust away or be blown away or do we invest more in our relationship with our Heavenly Father that will never rust away or can be blown away when it is properly rooted in our lives.

When my pastor read this verse, I immediately just had this image of the bible with roots grown deep in the ground that no force in this world can make fall down.

That’s the type of relationship I strive for; That’s the type of relationship we should all strive for.

It makes worrying if the house is still there, less of a concern. We can always rebuild a new home, we can buy new things…but our relationship with Jesus Christ is not something that is fleeting…It’s something that is permanent and forever and it’s there for all of us.

Matthew 6:19

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I just couldn’t shake the images of the roots….Deep roots, so ingrained in the ground that nothing could rip it away.That’s the type of faith and relationship with Jesus Christ that I strive and want and crave for.

The choice is very simple.

We can have that shallow faith that though it may serve the purpose of getting us by, it isn’t enough to withstand life’s pressure, or we can have that strong faith, through perseverance and guidance of our Heavenly Father, can withstand the strongest hurricane and bear fruit and testimony to our Heavenly Father.
With that said, here’s a cute moral story I found about the Oak Tree:

The Oak Tree always thought that he was far stronger then the reeds. He said to himself “I stand upright in a storm. I don’t bend my head in fear every time the wind blows. But these reeds are really so weak.”

That very night blew a storm and the mighty oak tree was uprooted.

“Good God!” sighed the reeds, “our way is better. We bend but we don’t break.”

MORAL : Pride hath a fall