One of my favorite television shows is on the History Channel™: The Curse of Oak Island. If you have not seen the show, it is about two brothers, Marty and Rick Lagina, who have already spent a small fortunate in search of treasure that is believed to have been buried in the late 16th century. To date numerous artifacts have been recovered to indicate that the treasure is real. The brothers believe that it is because: Why would anyone spend 20 million dollars of their own money to conduct such a search.
In different episodes they have found logs buried in the ground; and as a result, had them carbon tested, as well as doing dendrochronology (the study of tree growth and dating). Some of the logs date back to the 1600s.
The point I want to make is that the study of dendrochronology reveals that the rings are of different thicknesses, indicating that there were years of good growth, and years that were years of drought and other adverse conditions.
What if someone could do a dendrochronology study of our life? What would the rings reveal? Would there be years of good growth because you have walked with the Lord; filled with the power of God’s Spirit? Would there be years of poor growth because you failed to follow the leading of the Lord in your life?
In his letter to the Ephesians Paul encouraged them to grow in Christ, saying: “…grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)
Last week I shared with you concerning the tree in our front yard that broke because of heavy rain and wind. Though we finished cutting the tree trunk down below the ground’s surface; in the spring a small tree began to grow about ten feet away. The rot that had caused the main tree to snap and break, could not prevent the tree to burst forth into new life because the tree’s roots were good.
It is true that there is rot in everyone of us. We are sinners by our very nature, but in Christ we are restored as we are forgiven of sin. Thankfully, the Lord was willing to receive us unto Himself and the rot gives way to new life and new growth. There will always be the storms of life that test our strength and faith, but we can be steadfast and experience years of good growth that will glorify God.
Know this: the storms of life are a gift from God designed to help us grow up into Him in everything. When the storms come, it is not the time to be discouraged and give up, but a time to grow as we acknowledge God is at work to reveal good growth in us. So, let the storms roll in! If there is something that seems disastrous, realize that new growth will spring up where old growth ended.
- Pastor Jerry L. Dunn, Oak Street Baptist Church
