I do not usually like Palm trees......in Wilmington. When we were in Cape Town, South Africa I saw beautiful palm trees....because they were native there. They were huge and full, I had never seen any like them. Saturday when we arrived, before I got on the beach, I was intrigued by this palm tree. It looked like maybe a hurricane had blown it over. The bottom of the tree, on one side, was out of the dirt. Just a few roots seemed to be holding this tree up.
I thought about my life. When things are going well, everyone is ok. We are standing tall - reaching the sky. The sun helps us grow, the rains come and take care of the droughts. All is well. Then a major storm comes along and rocks our world. The storm could be a death, diagnosis, job loss, divorce, bankruptcy, etc. The storm can push us all the way down. When my Dad died the man from the funeral home said to Mom and I, "people say God does not give you more than you can handle but I think He does - so you have to lean on Him." I totally agree.
We have a choice to make....we can weather the storm alone or we can lean on God. Psalm 34: 17-20, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
IF you want peace you can find it under the shadow of the Almighty - He is the shelter from all the storms.
Psalm 57: 1, "O God, have pity, for I am trusting you! I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this storm is past." David ran right into His Father's arms and asking God for mercy. We all need to come to God over and over again for mercy, just as David did so long ago. Asking God's mercy is what David was known for. He relied on the power of the Lord. David does not find refuge in the cave where he is hiding. He does not expect to escape all suffering but he does find refuge in the Lord. Psalm 107: 29, "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. The psalmist writes this with confidence and hope. We really can trust God to bring peace and to reduce the fiercest storm to a mere whisper.
Matthew 8; 26-27, "But Jesus answered, 'O you men of little faith! Why are you so frightened?' Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and the storm subsided and all was calm. The disciples just sat there, awed! 'Who is this,' they asked themselves, 'that even the winds and the sea obey him?'” Jesus showed his disciples that their safety is under his command. We can be secure that Jesus will care of us!
Faith in Christ teaches us not to fear the storm, but to trust in Him, seek His will, and let Him calm the storm in due time. When we look to the Son our path's straighten up and we continue to grow stronger and stronger. The palm tree tends to bend, not fall in the wind. After the storm, as the palm tree looked toward the Light, it began to grow stronger and the roots went deeper. The tree is now standing tall looking up to the Son! Let's be like the palm tree that strives upwards when it is most burdened.
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