By Grace, Through Faith

Ah – my first post since I’ve gone back to school! Where did all the time go? Seems like I’ve just been here for a second and now, I’m two months away from graduation. What. Even.

Last month, I spent the whole school break travelling to different parts of the world. I had to include a re-visit to Los Angeles for this trip, because it’s been two years since I left and I’ve missed the city a little too much. Looking back at the trip, I can’t help but think of a particular object that’s naturally found in California: the sequoia tree.

The Sequoia can be found in abundance in several national parks in California, and is currently the largest living organism in the world by volume. It is also one of the oldest species on earth, with a maximum lifespan of more than 3,000 years. Such facts alone should warrant marvel for the species, but I’m here to tell you that there is more to this plant than meets the eye: it’s a good example of how we, as God’s people, should live life on this earth. Below are three amazing facts about the sequoia that will teach us a thing or two about our journey of faith.

1. Fire is essential for a sequoia seed to grow.

The sequoia doesn’t only survive in a fire, but thrives in it. When a sequoia tree catches fire, its cone opens up and releases seeds into the ground. This fire also prepares the soil by eliminating competing plants and leaving behind nutrient-rich ash which acts as a fertiliser for the seedlings to grow. As a result, they flourish and become one of the world’s hardiest trees, with a thick bark that is resistant to flame, rot, and wood-boring insects.

In our walk with God, this fire can be likened to the trials that He allows in our lives to strengthen and purify us for His glory: “It [your faith] is being tested as fire tests purified gold… So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world” (1 Peter 1:7 NLT). Overcoming a trial (or many trials) is never an easy feat, but keeping in mind the fact that Jesus allows tribulations in your life to refine and grow your faith, will help you get through it all.

2. The biggest tree started with a very tiny seed.

A minuscule one, in fact: 91,000 of these seeds add up to one single pound. From a seed weighing less than a hundredth of a gram, a tree bigger than the size of a blue whale can grow.

In Matthew 17:20 (NIV), Jesus says: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”. Even with faith as small as a seed, we are enabled to do so much. But to grow our faith from seed to sequoia, requires hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Through the constant hearing of His word, we are able to comprehend and obey His commands, leading to faith that grows as a sequoia seed does after fire.

3. They never stop growing until the day they die.

In 2014, a study done by the US Geological Survey revealed that sequoia trees do not suffer from the ill effects of old age, like other organisms do. On the contrary, some of the oldest and tallest giant sequoias were found to be producing more wood in old age than they did when they were younger. They flourished and fought well until the end!

We must aim to live our lives as the sequoia did – to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7), right until the day we’re called back home. Don’t use age as a reason to “justify” your lack of faith in God – I’ve lost count on the number of people who have said to me, “I’m still so young, I’ll enjoy life first and then go to church when I’m older”, or, conversely, believe that they are too old to be of any use in ministry. No matter who we are, where we come from, and how old we are now, God has a multitude of ways in which He can make us a vessel for His power and grace, as long as we are willing. No matter who you were in the past, or who you’d like to be in the future, He loves you all the same.

Like the frost on a rose
Winter comes for us all
Oh how nature acquaints us
With the nature of patience

Like a seed in the snow
I’ve been buried to grow
For Your promise is loyal
From seed to sequoia

I know
Though the winter is long even richer
The harvest it brings
Though my waiting prolongs even greater
Your promise for me like a seed
I believe that my season will come

~ Seasons, Hillsong Worship

Last two Saturdays, June 10th 2017, marked exactly one year since I graduated from my Bachelor’s degree. My oh my, did time fly – seems like it was just yesterday that I came to my first college class enthusiastically wide-eyed, braving the cold January morning.

Since that day I tossed my cap in the air and held my diploma for the very first time, a whole lot has changed. I made so many new friends and shared valuable experiences with them along the way. I went to places I’ve never been before, and loved some of them so much I can’t wait to go back. I learned to re-adjust to my hometown after four years away with a perspective so new, the city feels like a different city now. But above all, I realized what a difference a year makes in my personal walk with God.

Truth be told, in the year prior to this, I didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked in my relationship with Him. I tried using a myriad of excuses to justify my behavior when I know full well that I am the only one to blame – not school, work or anything else. But as I made a conscious effort to improve this, I realized how much my faith grew, and – as a result – how much more He has been showing me through both the big and little things in life. The more I seek Him, the more tangible, real, and visible He becomes in my life, guiding and protecting me through the most difficult situations.

There is a passage in the Bible that beautifully describes this journey. It is called The Parable of the Seed Growing, and it says: “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how” (Mark 4:26-27). As we make an effort to encounter Him through His Word, God Himself will do all the work of sowing the Word in our hearts. He alone will also make sure that this Word does not go to waste in the hearts of those that love and seek Him, letting it grow like a seed of a plant does in nature. It sprouts and blossoms in due course, without us even knowing that it has matured until we reap the many benefits of this originally minuscule seed.

If deadlines, exams or a hundred different meetings are keeping you away from your valuable time with God, trust me – a living relationship with the One who created us is far more important than any of those combined. When we have our priorities straight and put God up first on the list, everything else will fall into place, as He will be the one planning your today and all of your tomorrows.

A few days ago, I turned on Spotify to accompany me in the shower (those who know me know that I am very much a sing-in-the-shower type of gal). I had my Christian songs album on play and, as I got out of the shower, these words of Kings Kaleidoscope’s Come Thou Fount echoed in my ears:

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by Thy help I’ve come.

This song has been a favorite of mine ever since I discovered it over a year ago. The combination of poetic lyrics and emphasis on the greatness of God’s mercy in His creations who are constantly in need of help hits a soft spot in me every time I sing this hymn. And the section above, for me, is exceptionally beautiful.

The first part of the quote from this song makes a reference to Ebenezer, and many of us might be wondering what it really is. First of all, Ebenezer is the name of the place in the book of Samuel where the Israelites fought with the Philistines (1 Sam 4).

At the time, the people of Israel were sinning against God through idolatry, and as a result were defeated by the Philistines during war even though they had brought with them the ark of the covenant of God. Then, under the leadership of Samuel, the nation experienced a revival in which they repented of their sins, destroyed their idols, and began to seek the Lord (1 Sam 7:2-4).

It was during this time of repentance that the Philistines came again to attack Israel. “But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel” (v. 10). God defended the Israelites and sent them a help that they could not have managed to get on their own.

To commemorate this victory, “Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the Lord has helped us‘” (v. 12). This is the second meaning of the word. Since that day, every time an Israelite saw this stone erected by Samuel, they are given a tangible reminder of God’s extraordinary help and protection. In the Hebrew language, Ebenezer directly translates to “stone of help”.

Writing this on my twenty-first birthday, I can’t help but raise my Ebenezer. I am reminded of all the times He’s helped me in ways I cannot fathom. I am reminded of how He takes me back when I’ve strayed away from His light, and loves me all the same. I am also reminded of all the Ebenezers God has put into my life – parents, ministry partners, and friends – that constantly remind me of what greatness our Lord is capable of, and how He fiercely protects and loves each one of us. I thank God for each and every one of you and keep you all in my prayers.

Today, I want you to think about the Ebenezers in your life that have brought you to where you are in your walk with God. Whether you have just started or are many years deep into your journey of faith, be reminded of all the times the Lord has helped you, and that He cherishes you so, so much.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above.