Deep Faith

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” – Hebrews 11:1

Your life as a Christian is like a tree. You begin as a seed…dead, by itself, but alive once planted into the soil of the grace that is offered us by God. Once the seed is broken, the life begins to grow. Eventually, the proof of life springs out of the soil to be seen by all…small at first, but then growing, up, up and up into the sky, reaching, as it were, for the highest height. Branches stretch out this way and that seeking to gain as much of the sun’s rays as it can, so that it might grow even bigger.

But even beyond what can be seen in the trunk, branches and leaves, is the root system that begins to go as far down into the life-giving soil as it can. Deeper and deeper, wider and wider until the tree is so connected that only very drastic means could render it useless. The deep roots hold the tree in place, even though buffeted by the winds and the storms.

And then, due to its deep root system, the tree begins to bear fruit. Apples, pears, nuts, whatever the tree was designed for, the fruit becomes obvious. It grows and ripens on the branches until such time as it is ready to be picked and then planted again…to form another tree.

In the Christian’s life, the roots are our faith. We cannot see them, but they are there. And our faith must be rooted in the life-giving soil of the truth of God’s Word. If we try to place our faith in anything else, our tree will fall at the first sign of trial. Our faith, dug down deep into God’s Word will allow us to see God’s will and do it. It will give us stability through the trials of life and allow us to stand tall even in the midst of the toughest storm.

So don’t be afraid when your roots are tested. Don’t be afraid you face the trial. It is causing your faith to deepen, and it is causing you to become more and more like Christ.

Think about that, and we’ll see you on Sunday!