Down in Ramsey Canyon, AZ, you can find this branch. Only God knows what caused all the twists and turns in it. But what a fine example of the Christian life this branch makes. Richard Petty best said it, “The good Lord doesn’t tell you what his plan is, so all you can do is get up in the morning and see what happens next.”
Life is not guaranteed to be smooth sailing. As a matter of fact in John 16:33 Jesus said,
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
I don’t look forward to those hard times but it is what we do in those time that matters. Know that the victory has already been won by Jesus makes it a little easier to .endure.
Life can be a rollercoaster ride for us too, just like this branch. Like Paul said in Philippians 3:14,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Then in 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul said,
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
No matter what happened in the life of this branch it kept going in the direction God had purposed for it. It didn’t give up and go off in a different direction that was easier it persevered through the storms and hindrances that came its way. Through all the twist and turns in the life of that branch, it managed to stay on the path that God had planned for it.
Like the promise in Proverbs 3:5&6, when we let go of our control and trust God our path will be straight, even when trials try to push us off of the path He has for us. God is more than able to make it straight.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
(Photo by Sue London)
Bonnie Sue Writes 
Yes, sometimes life is like that branch. But we just need to look to the planner of our lives. He is in control and regardless of what life throws at us. Just this fact alone, keeps me sane and keeps me focused on what He wants me to do for His Kingdom.
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Amen Gloria!
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I think this is a beautiful, concise message, and so many of us need to hear it often. I try to tell myself this again and again: what matters is that we don’t give up or cave in. When we fall or get thrown sideways, the Holy Spirit gives us courage to keep going as we remember our Savior’s words. His peace is a different kind of peace, not dependent on the situations we encounter in this world.
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Thank you for the comment. I love how God shows us those reminders.
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Proverbs 3:5-6 is my absolute favorite Bible verse. It’s the first Scripture (besides John 3:16) that I ever memorized and could still recall several weeks later. I love the image you provided with the branch! Isn’t it crazy how trees grow sometimes? Even more than the branch, I love the message you’ve delivered using it as an example. Great post!
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Thank Lauren!
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I absolutely love this. It’s so true. God has also been speaking to me a lot about branches lately. I wonder what He’s trying to tell me. Guess I’ll find out… one step at a time.
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It is amazing what He will use to speak to us.
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Hello, fellow blogger and friend!
On the first of each month, I do a special round-up called #(Month)25 where I share the best of other people’s content with my followers. I share five posts from each of these categories: Christian, kids/motherhood, relationships, money, and miscellaneous. I just wanted to let you know that this blog post was featured in my #December25 Roundup. Hooray!
Here’s a link to the post so you can see for yourself: http://wp.me/p7RdMZ-zY
In Christ,
Lauren C. Moye
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Thanks so much for the blessing.
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