I heard about a tree in California, USA which stands on a rocky point overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is a misshaped, twisted and knotty cypress tree growing out of what appears to be solid rock. The winds over the years have blown its branches backward from the sea until they are permanently shaped that way. From the front view the tree looks a single plane along the trunk with all its leaves and branches to the back.
People have painted pictures of the tree and one famous artist captioned it “Strength to Endure.” This cypress tree has endured storms through the centuries and is rewarded as the most photographed tree in the world.
God rewards a faithful and enduring Christian. Our faithfulness in coming to church, enduring hardships, suffering for Christ, obeying his word, giving to God, etc., is rewarded in full in eternity.
