At the beginning of Spring we received the gift of a fruit tree. Our
daughter, Nanci said she had no idea why, but she felt God telling her to give
it to us. It had new growth on it and inspired our hopes for the new season.
We planted it and shortly afterwards it started to wilt. Jim told me that it
wasn't dead, but I wasn't so sure. Since then, he regularly reports that the
tree is still alive. I go out to inspect it and don't see any reason to believe
him. I bend the thin dry branches and they break off. He still tells me that
it's alive. I think, "That's an interesting view of things", as I walk back into
the house shaking my head in disbelief.
That was until yesterday after he reported new growth. As I went to look
I was wondering what he could be thinking. I found a lot of dry branches that
easily broke off. But, then I looked down and saw new growth coming from
the bottom of the tree! Amazing! The old growth is dead, but there is still
life and promise in this fruit tree. It's a good thing Jim wouldn't listen to me
when I told him I thought he should dig it up and throw it away.
This is a beautiful illustration of faith. We pray and see evidence of
answers and our faith is strong. But, then before we know it, we see things
begin to fall apart and our hope begins to die. We give up. Or, God prompts
us to do something and because we don't understand why, we don't follow
through. Yet, the Creator is doing unseen work that requires patience and
faith.
"Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of things (we) hoped for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses). Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible)
The Message Bible says, "The fundamental fact of existenceis that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see."
I have renewed hope because I have faith and this is proof that God
is working! And, Nanci has new evidence that it was God's leading her to give
