If you travel north on Interstate 29 near Rock Port, Missouri, you may notice the remnants of an old farm place. There are gray wooden structures, a pair of grain silos, a rusty flatbed truck, and several trees. Nothing is unusual, except for that one tree.
The tree stands out, not because of its beauty, but because of its location. Strangely, the tree lives inside one of the silos. Over time, the tree has grown to an elevation several feet above the rim of the silo. Who would have thought that the tree would have survived in that environment, yet it has. In fact, it has flourished.
Like that one tree, scores of believers down through the ages have flourished, despite their surroundings. Consider these Old Testament headlines: Esther “stood before the king” on behalf of her people (Esther 8:1-17), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were “cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire” (Daniel 3:1-30), and Daniel was “cast into the lions’ den” (Daniel 6:1-28).
Their stories exemplify what it means to live triumphantly despite your surroundings.
In the New Testament, Paul and his co-laborers for the gospel dealt with their share of struggles: “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
British theologian Matthew Henry (1662-1714) offered some helpful insight on this passage in his popular commentary:
“The apostles were great sufferers; therein they followed their Master: Christ had told them that in the world they [would] have tribulation … ‘We are,’ says the apostle, ‘troubled on every side, afflicted many ways, and we meet with almost all sorts of troubles; yet not distressed. We are not hedged in nor cooped up, because we can see help in God, and help from God, and have liberty of access to God.’”
These saints struggled, yet with God’s help, they persevered.
Amy Carmichael was a missionary to India for over fifty years, rescuing children from temple slavery and prostitution. She founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a safe place for these troubled boys and girls.
This dedicated missionary spent the last twenty years of her life as an invalid due to a terrible fall. Amy was confined to her bed most of the time, yet she continued to direct the Dohnavur Fellowship, and she wrote several books that inspire Christians even today.
Regardless of her physical setback, Amy Carmichael continued to flourish.
We understand that Amy and the other believers I highlighted were not “superhero Christians.” They were just ordinary men and women like you and me, people who - strengthened by God - flourished where He planted them.
I don’t know what your surroundings are like today; these are trying times for many. Yet, as the believers I mentioned demonstrated, you and I can’t allow our circumstances to slow our pace.
Let’s determine to stay rooted in Scripture, depend on God’s might, and by God’s grace, flourish.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3).
