I love this video I posted below about the Chinese Bamboo Tree. The seed is planted and it must be watered everyday. Day after day the farmer would drag his bucket to the marked spots to water something he could not see. The days turn into weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. People began to doubt the farmer, but he faithfully charged ahead with nourishing the tree, even though there are still no signs of life. What people could not see was the tree was working on a root system that would support its explosive growth once it pushed through the ground. On the fifth year, a tiny shoot broke through, and in six weeks the tree grew to an astonishing 90 feet. So many people ask did the tree grow 90 feet in six weeks or five years. The answer is of course five years. It was posturing itself deep in the ground to be able to support its massive needs once it burst out of the ground.
Sometimes in our spiritual life we can wonder where is God? Does He hear my prayers? Is God working on my behalf? Sometimes God requires us to have blind faith, continually putting one foot in front of the other, even though we don't really see the plan. We are so use to instantaneous results that it can be difficult to wait on the Lord. However, just like the bamboo tree if we continue to have faith, even when we don't feel His presence as closely as we would like, in the end we will see He was there all along working, it was just on his time table. Often times, He uses these times to grow our faith and strength. You cannot see the growth taking place in the bamboo tree all those years because it is underground, just like sometimes we don't realize God is preparing our hearts when we experience hard times. Then eventually we wake up, and realize we have come out on the other side and are stronger for the trial. The real question is will we stay the course? Will we allow our faith to flourish under harsh conditions? Will we continue to put one foot in front of the other? Will we allow God to work on our behalf when we cannot change the situation? Will we in fact, come out stronger on the other side by God's grace?
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
Proverbs 4:25-27 Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.
Psalm 3:2-6
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
Sometimes in our spiritual life we can wonder where is God? Does He hear my prayers? Is God working on my behalf? Sometimes God requires us to have blind faith, continually putting one foot in front of the other, even though we don't really see the plan. We are so use to instantaneous results that it can be difficult to wait on the Lord. However, just like the bamboo tree if we continue to have faith, even when we don't feel His presence as closely as we would like, in the end we will see He was there all along working, it was just on his time table. Often times, He uses these times to grow our faith and strength. You cannot see the growth taking place in the bamboo tree all those years because it is underground, just like sometimes we don't realize God is preparing our hearts when we experience hard times. Then eventually we wake up, and realize we have come out on the other side and are stronger for the trial. The real question is will we stay the course? Will we allow our faith to flourish under harsh conditions? Will we continue to put one foot in front of the other? Will we allow God to work on our behalf when we cannot change the situation? Will we in fact, come out stronger on the other side by God's grace?
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
Proverbs 4:25-27 Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.
Psalm 3:2-6
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
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