Hope Through the Fire - a Lesson from the Sequoia

When my oldest grandson, Owen, had his music presentation at college, I watched with awe at how much he'd grown. Where has the time gone? All I could think about was the butterball baby that just yesterday sat on my lap and listened to my stories. I remember, at age five, how he made his Papa and I sit down to listen to his first sermon. He was dressed up in an oversized suit and tie from the thrift store and stood behind an end table as a pulpit.

"Mimmy and Papa, you have to sit still and listen."

Then he puffed out his chest and declared, "Jesus walked on the water and He yelled, 'Let my people go!'"

Well, his facts were a bit off, but a seed of ministry was already flourishing. He is now 24 years old, and that seed has grown into a man of integrity with giant faith and uncommonly deep devotion.

Giant Sequoias live on the slopes of the Sierra Nevadas and up the west coast of North America. You'd think that these ginormous trees would have grown from really big seeds. Instead, hundreds of tiny winged seeds, an eighth of an inch in size, come nestle inside large, prickly cones.

Sequois rely on fire to release most seeds from their cones. Fire also recycles nutrients in the soil and opens holes in the forest canopy so seedlings can get enough sunlight.

When I think of the fiery trials I've experienced, I'm amazed at the fruitfulness that God birthed despite how difficult they were. Sometimes, I felt as if the size of my faith was so small, but then I'd think of the mighty sequoia, and my heart would fill with hope.

I'm reminded of a line in a song I wrote years ago: "The little that I have is not little at all when I put it in the hands of the Lord."

When the trials you face seem bigger than what your faith can handle... you're probably right. But remember, He doesn't look at the size of our faith as much as where we place it.

If you are enjoying these messages and would enjoy reading more, I encourage you to purchase my book:

Flourishing In God - A Message From the Trees.