The Windy Day and a Lesson in Faith

I was driving home the other day and the wind was extremely strong.  So much so that I could feel the push and pull of the car.  I was sure I was going to blown off the road and become part of the beautiful landscape.  But thankfully that did not happen.

As I was driving, I did take note of said beautiful landscape.  The trees lining the road were standing surprisingly still.  I would never have know how windy it was by looking at these particular trees.  Yet the grass beneath looked as if it were ready to come out of the ground due to the high winds.  I was perplexed.  How could the wind be so strong but the branches of the trees were standing still as if there wasn't even a breeze?

I began to think about that and how it relates to our faith.  How is it that some people could be going through trials but their faith is so strong you would think everything was hunky dory?  But it is not about appearances.  It is about true faith.

Think back to the trees.  Think about how they grow.  They start from a seed.  Something so tiny yet produces something so big.  When the seed is planted in the ground, it begins to sprout up into a sapling.  A small plant that could easily be uprooted by strong winds, hands, animals.  Not a strong object by any means at this point.

As the sapling is growing, so are the roots.  The roots of the tree begin to hold fast to the ground in which it is planted.  The roots give the tree its strong foundation.  Without these, the tree would not survive very long, especially as tree began to grow taller.  Not only do the roots form the strong foundation of the tree, but they are the source of nourishment.  Through the roots, the tree can absorb the moisture and food it needs to survive.

So why weren't the trees budging as the high winds were pushing me off the road?  Because they had a strong foundation.  Their roots were strong.  Without the roots, the trees might have been on the road with me being pushed along by the wind.  Hopefully they would stay in their own lanes and not try to cut me off, though.

It is the same with us.  We need to have that strong foundation.  Our roots are studying of God's word, praying daily with God, and growing our faith.  If we don't do this, we cannot be strong.  Any trial will come along and we will topple over.  But with the roots planted properly, we can stand strong through the trials.  We might sway, but we can still say, "God can get me through this.  It is in His hands.  I have no reason to fear."

It is true when Jesus said we only need to have the faith the size of a mustard seed.  That seed is so small (1-2 mm in diameter), yet it grows into a big plant (9 feet tall).  The small amount of faith grows into an enormous amount of faith.  I strive for that kind of faith so that I can stand strong in the midst of storms that come into my life.  I want to be like the trees that strand tall as the wind is so strong.  But this is only possible By God's Amazing Grace.