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The Oak Tree
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He said therefore, What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches. Luke 13:18 ESV
As I stared out of the window at the huge oak tree in our yard, I thought of what it looked like thirty years ago, when I first moved here. It was a small scrawny thing then. Now it is a huge tree and you could park several cars in it's shade. It has limbs bigger than my torso.
It did not happen overnight. This magnificent oak took decades to get where it is now, and it could have easily been crushed or uprooted while it was still small. There was a time when it was small and weak but over time, using what God has provided for it each day, it has now become a mature oak tree.
The faith that is in you starts small, but it grows over time. As you walk with the Lord, talk with the Lord, and rely on His provision, that little seed within you will grow and become unshakable. Don't try and rush it. You will become disappointed. Take it one day at a time and some day when you look back on where you are now, you will laugh. Faith and oak trees both have to grow over time.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, be with me this day and provide the things that I need to grow. Strengthen my faith and guide my steps with Your Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus.
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What a great message, Pastor Dion! In 2008, when we first began attending worship services, my faith was very small - I had turned from God in my 20s. Now, I know that I know that God always provides what His children need, and even when I have moments of anxiety and stress, I know that He will come through. I think the key to this is praying as though we have already received what we ask; it shows the Lord that our faith in Him is growing, and that we trust Him. We may not get what we think we want - he isn't a genie that grants wishes - but He always provides our needs. Thank you for this reminder about having the patience to grow in our faith!
That's the truth, Karen! He can only disappoint when we try to regulate HOW He is going to guide our lives.
Faith is a continual growing experience that helps all of us stay closer to God and also allows us to know that he is faithful and will always be there with you no matter what. I am still growing in my faith and I thank God for always being with me and for reminding me that I am not alone! Thank you Father in Heaven for the reminder that in my daily walk with you, I grow stronger each day because of you. Amen!!
AMEN
Prayer: Heavenly Father, be with me this day and provide the things that I need to grow. Strengthen my faith and guide my steps with Your Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus. Amen! Thank you <3 God Bless
hallelujah amen
Good Morning---very good Teaching-P:rayer Praise staying in His word forward!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen. One day at a time with the Lord, baby steps can become giant strides.
Amen, Carol!
This message so applies to me! Thank you for the reminder that with patience and care my faith will continue to grow. Sometimes I feel stuck and a lack of growth! Thank you for the reminder!
Amen
Jehovah-Jireh
When I think of the strength of my faith I see a tiny flame. I reflect that I wish it was bigger. This reading helped me feel at peace for my little flame, accepting it, and being grateful for it just the way it is, tiny flame and all. I pray it will grew but for now, today it's ok. I am like the little sap tree, God is going to water me, protect me and give me the sun and rain I need. Thank you Jesus.
Nothing wrong with that, Michelle! I doubt that any of us look like a mighty oak to God anyway ;-)
Faith as small as a grain of mustard seed... Just as a tree if it stays alive, will grow. So will your faith :)
Love the story...I am still growing branches.
We all are, Cheryl <3!
thanks you do agree sometimes you find lose branchs then you gain back them as gain wisdom.
Thank you YAHWEH for together with my son as we grow with our faith, please let thy HOLY SPIRIT lead us to the path you wanted us to walk through as we seek your kingdom GOD ALMIGHTY, as we ask and pray with all our heart for we know that the doors you opened for us is just right in front us us. We will always love and trust you with all our hearts.
Amen
Amen.
This is so true! My faith grows when I remember to praise and thank God for all His wonderful blessings every day.
Amen!
Amen!! Thank you Pasror Dion for todays devotion. The oak tree's are beautiful our back yard is filled with many very large ones. We built here 33 years ago and they was all here and bif then. We have a neighbor abpve us and our property blends together. He was having tree's cut one year I was in my late twenty's and he was going to cut what we all call the mother oak tree. He had someone come to see how old the tree was. I for the number but it was over 200 years old and my husband said you can't cut that. They both stood looking at it and they was watching all the animals that live in this tree. Well he didn't have that tree cut down. His wife was not happy with my husband say Bob, you can't cut that down that was after they found out how old that tree was. We have three Bob's here. My husband is Bob too the guy with the mother oak tree is Bob too. Then we have another Bob across us in the front of our house. Well the tree is still with us and new neighboes moved in next door. They are in their early twentys like we was when we built here. The young guy Tom told my husband you have all those oak tree's. I'm going to have to rake your leaves. My husband said Tom all along your lower property is a lot of tree's there the wind blows up and I get all your leaves. He said your young he said I take care of two places and you don't see be crying... lol Tom and his wife to be next summer really love us. They said we was worried it's like a park down here and so peaceful. They said the closest to us is Diane and Bob. They was really worried what we was like and when they got to know us they said we love our new neighbors. I said we worried too who we would get but the people before made sure they got us good neighbors. The built that house and we was became really close to them. The old owners wife went blind and wanted to move in closer to where her daughter lived. They had a son too and he was in a service for amny years. The dad end up with cancer and right after my operation for ovarian cancer I came home from the hospital. The daughter who was in her mid fourties came to my door here she just got out of the same hospital same oncologist that I had he's the best around. My mother had the doctor who trained our oncologist. Here she told me she had ovarian cancer in the last stage. I was so sad she wanted to know where mine was and I got checked twicea year. I had the blood test CA-125 done rwice a year. It was going up and Dr Kellu took everything and I was fine no cancer just didn't do well with the operation. I thank God i'm very blessed because that's a hard one to beat it's always to late. If my mother never had it I wou;d not have been getting those test twice a year. Well er dad knew he didn't have much time he told his daughter to make sure you get good neighbors. Check everything out about them. He passed and she was on charge of everything as she was fighting her own battle. She came to the door and was saying I have buyers and told us about all she knew and said mom's not doing well and my brother's back in the hospital. He had something happen in Iraq. She said I have to make quick date and get this done fast. Here all went well the closing took place and the new neighbors didn't move in they was cleaning everything. He's a union carpenter and loves his job so he wanted to do a lot before they moved in while nothing was in his way. He took out walls and just added a beautiful frount porch. So I get a call from the daughter who had to sell the house fast she said her mom might not make it. She knew I was very ill too for along time and I would pray over her I loved this girl. Here her brother called after all was done and she made it to the closing. Mike said Diane my sister passed away. She was trying to get it all done because she knew she was going to passs away and didn't want me to cry in front of her. I lost my dear sweet neighbors jjust two years ago and Mike moved to Texas with his wife and took his mother, I was talking to Bob behide us and he said I guess you know Peggy passed away. I said no nobody told us I said everytime someone passes away here we find out months even one was a year after. My husband was upset with some of the neighboes they all lived here forever. We love down over the hill on a dead end we can see anything going on and I thnk it would be nice if they would tell us when neighboes pass away. So I went from the oak trees to the Bob's to raking the leaves to the neighbors all being ill and having cancer. Then went to the house and finding the right neighbors. Then to the passing of the daughter and mother. Then to all the neighbors who passed away and nobody every told us of one passing. Oh yes the start was the tree's and the age of the mother oak. I'M Done!!! LOL Sylvia and Pastor Dion this is another Christmas letter that you two can sit and read... Enjoy!!! hee hee. If I made any tyop's I fix them later when I do go over my letters... lol To late to do that now. :-)
Heavenly Father, be with me this day and provide the things that I need to grow. Strengthen my faith and guide my steps with Your Holy Spirit, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Amen.
Anen