I gazed out the car window at the young cedar trees along the winding road. There had been a marked change since the last time we had come this way. The sad results of a recent ice storm were evident.

Ice had weighed the cedars down and caused many to lose their formerly noble bearing. The tops of many pointed off at odd angles. Some were so crooked that they practically pointed downward. Even though cedars are known for their firm root systems, the weight of the ice had uprooted some that had been growing on a steep sandy slope, and they lay on the ground like fallen soldiers. Some cedars, however, that had stood the straightest before the storm, still stood straight and tall, having weathered the devastation.

Every time we are focused intently on ourselves or looking for the faults and failures of others, we lose our upward focus. Then, when the storms of life come, the trials weigh us down, magnifying our downward, selfish bent. Only those who remain looking upward to their Savior will stay strong and true.

When the cares of this life get you down, look up. When the temptation of selfishness threatens to pull you over, look up. Look to Him who is able to keep you from falling. Think about what matters most to Jesus and how you can serve Him best. He has asked all Christians to give the everlasting gospel to all the people of the earth. One way you could do this is by making a pledge to help support an AFM missionary. It’s not a commitment to a person or an organization; it’s a commitment to Christ and to His cause.

May we all grow like cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 92:12), ever looking higher, ever pointing others to Jesus.

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