One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #285, January 2025
The antics of the weather can teach us a lot about life, and one of these lessons is that we should lay by a portion of our blessings and gifts for a day of trouble and need. I know that Solomon said, “Trust in God with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding,” but how many truly do that?
I was taught when I was young that when you see a sign on a product you don’t really need, a “half-price sale”, keeping your money in your pocket means saving a hundred percent. Trusting in God means being available when the need arises, rather than assuming the need might come at another time.
A good example of this principle is found in Matthew 6:19-21:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
The moths, rust, and thieves represent the avenues through which the world draws our blessings away, leaving us poor and destitute. This is similar to the Evil One, who is like a roaring lion roaming about, seeking whom he may devour. This same roaring lion continues to prowl the world, seeking ways to deplete our resources and plunge us into hardship, much like the Great Depression of the 1940s.
Obedience to God Comes from the Heart
The key to Solomon’s statement—“trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”—is the same key that Jesus emphasized:
“If you love me, keep my commandments.”
This key is also found in God’s commandments:
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
“Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
These statements should prepare people of all nations for the times of trouble we will face in the future. Freedom of speech does not give us the right to publicly degrade others. Freedom of religion does not justify breaking laws of morality and common sense. Christianity is supposed to be the example of God’s will for mankind. Yet, many believe their religion is the best while forgetting that the foundation of Christianity is love (charity)—and no religion is more Holy than that.
The Changing World and an Unchanging God
Weather teaches us another life lesson: it is unpredictable and difficult to forecast. Similarly, every generation seems to establish its own version of truth, rather than adhering to timeless wisdom. I have long struggled to teach that while facts may change, truth never does.
For example, when we read the Preamble to the Constitution, we are dealing with foundational truths. When the Founding Fathers established the motto “In God we trust”, they were sealing the base of the Constitution upon that principle. However, we must remember that our Constitution is for us—it is meant as an example to the rest of the world, not as an open vault for them to exploit.
Weather forecasters often struggle to predict changing conditions, and the same is true of government and other societal institutions. Even religions sometimes alter their teachings, compromising truth for public opinion. Yet, there is one source that never changes—God, His Word, and His Spirit.
His love has never changed.
His laws have never changed.
His truth has never changed.
God does not compromise because compromise is the first step to transgression and failure. He is always just and judges with righteousness.
A Heart That Trusts God Finds Stability
Everything that God created is unpredictable, even though it is guided by rules and laws. God is not unpredictable—humans only think so because He does not conform to human reasoning.
This is why we should follow His teaching program:
He is almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present.
He is sovereign and unique.
He never changes.
He does not show favoritism, and He loves His creation.
He is the foundation of grace and truth, the source of knowledge and wisdom, and the breath of life—both physical and spiritual.
God makes grand promises, but He does not compromise.
He is a rock, not shifting sand.
He is a tree, not a mere branch.
He is the Creator, not a destroyer.
He works within His plan, purpose, and process. As the world changes, hold fast to Him, the solid rock, and trust Him with all your hearts.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts