KABOOM!

The house shook. Windows rattled. Was it and earthquake? An explosion? Mom rushed to the back door, searching for the cause of the commotion. 'Mom, come see! A big tree just fell down in our back yard"' William called.'

We saw it fall!' Melissa exclaimed.

'It took about 15 minutes for it to come down,' Ann explained. 'The wind was blowing really hard. Every time another gust of wind would come along, the tree bent over more and more. Then we saw the roots start to pull out of the ground and …'

'And it fell down and almost hit our house!' Melissa added. 'The wind was blowing so hard it almost knocked us over. It was fun!' William grinned.

'That tree could have fallen on you.' Mom exclaimed.

'No, Mom, we know to stay out of the way, because we could see it was about to fall,' the children chorused.

'I am thankful that your angels were watching over you,' Mom said, as she stepped outside to survey the damage. A tall eastern white pine tree stretched across the backyard. A branch from another tree had punctured a hole in the screened purch. An unusually strong storm with winds gusting to over 75 miles an hour had caused trees all over the community to come crashing down. Many had fallen over power lines and roads, triggering power outages and roadblocks. Others fell onto rooftops, damaging homes.

Despite its enormous size, the white pine has very shallow roots that spread near the ground's surface. When a big storm comes along, the pines are vulnerable to being uprooted and falling over, especially when they stand alone.

By contrast, white oak trees, which also grow to be huge in size, have a root system that extends deep into the ground. It is much more unusual for a white oak tree to be knocked down in a storm than a white pine.

The bible warns us that a great storm is coming upon our world-much greater than the storm in our story.

Let's read about it in Revelation 7:1;'After these things I saw four angels standing at the ________________ corners of the ___________, holding the four _____________ of the earth, that the wind should not ______________ on the earth, or the sea.'

Is this verse describing lots of air blowing, or something more?

In The Great Controversy, p. 11, we discover that 'Winds are a symbol of strife.'

In the book Education pp179, 180 we read, 'Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, that they may not blow until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth; and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture.'

The verse we just looked at in revelation 7:1 was actually the answer to a question found in Revelation chapter 6 Can you find the question?

Look at verse 17:'For the great day of His ________________ has come, and who is able to _______________?'

A strong wind can knock down very big trees. The white pine tree that fell looked strong before the storm. But it had shallow roots. How can we stand during the stormy time that is coming upon our world?

We find the answer in Ephesians 3:17-29: 'That ____________ may dwell in your hearts through ____________; that you being rooted and grounded in _____________, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the _________ of Christ which passes knowledge.'

What is the secret? Strong, deep roots, And what did this text just tell us we should be rooted in? God's love!

There is yet another lesson to be learned from the story of the fall of the magnificent white pine. We often judge people according to how they look on the outside, but the Lord warned Samuel not to do this. Let's look at 1 Samuel 16:7: 'do not look at his ___________ or at the height of his _____________, because I have refused him, For the Lord does not see as man ________________; for man looks at the ________________ appearance, but the Lord looks at the ______________.'

In the storm, or time of trouble, that is coming on the world, many people who on the outside look like very strong, good Christians, will fall, We can't always tell by an outward examination of a tree whether it is strong or weak, because its roots are hidden. In the same way, we can't always tell by looking at people which ones are weak and which ones are strong, because we can't see inside their hearts to examine their 'roots'.

But the Lord Jesus can see into our hearts. He loves you very much. He desires for your roots to grow deep into the soil of His love. Then, not only can you grow to be a strong tree for Him on the outside, but you may be strengthened by His love on the inside, And when the winds of strife and trial blow, He will enable you to stand, being rooted and grounded in His love.

_____________ * These texts are from the New King James Version, but you may use the King James or other versions to fill in the blanks.

Published in the 1888 Message Newsletter, July-August 2001.

Used with permission.

Published in the 1888 Message Newsletter