When The Tree Needs Help
WHEN THE TREE NEEDS HELP
Read Proverbs 6:20-23.
David watched his father pull out the stake that had been wired to a small tree ever since it had been planted.
“A small tree often doesn’t have the strength or ability to stand alone,” Dad said. “This stake acted as a support, but now I believe the tree is big enough to take any winds that may come along. And it can teach us a lesson about life,” added Dad.
“What do you mean?” David asked.
“When you were small, your mother and I held on to your hand every time you took a step,” Dad explained. “We didn’t want you to fall and get hurt. As you began to grow, we let you go by yourself, but we still watched you.”
David nodded as he thought about it. Even now he often needed his parents’ advice and help. He asked his father if he’d always have to depend on them.
“We’re committed to helping you grow to be a strong follower of Jesus Christ,” Dad replied, smiling. “As you grow up, you’ll be ready someday to go on without us. Proverbs 22:6 is a verse that your mother and I try to follow as we raise you: ‘Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.’”
“Sort of like the tree, isn’t it?” David asked. “When it was small and frail, you had to keep the stake beside it all the time. But now that it’s old enough, it will keep growing straight without the supporting stake.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
How do you feel when you are restricted in some way by your parents’ rules and guidance? Don’t get angry. Every young tree needs help to grow big and strong and straight.
TO MEMORIZE:
My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
Proverbs 6:20
WELCOME HELP.
From the book
