Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 62: Arctic Tern

Key Verse

“…it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 WEB

Lesson

In the Arctic few animals can live. There is one hearty bird that braves the cold conditions called the Arctic tern. The Arctic tern is a medium sized bird that looks rather normal. Yet it is an exceptional bird and not only for its ability to handle the cold climate. The Arctic tern holds the record for the farthest flying bird. As the Arctic summer wanes this tern wings its way south along the coasts of the world’s continents all the way to the oceans of Antarctica.

The seasons of the Southern Hemisphere are opposite to those of the Northern. So, during the Arctic winter Antarctica experiences summer. This is why the tern makes a trip of such great length. It continually seeks the mild summer weather no matter how far it must go. The Arctic tern will literally go to the ends of the earth to stay close to the mild warmth. In this pursuit the Arctic tern flies more than the circumference of the earth each year, totaling 24,901 miles (40,075 km).1 Most terns live about 15 to 30 years. Over the course of their life an Arctic tern can fly as many as 1,000,000 miles (1,609,344 km)!

The Arctic tern offers an insightful example of faithfulness. As followers of God we are called to live according to His standard. Sadly, modern Christians often act more on their feelings than on faithfulness. Many examples throughout the Bible illustrate that it is possible to live a life faithful to the precepts of God such as Abraham, Job, Joseph, and others. Jesus called his followers to obedience to the will of God, no exceptions. When Jesus forgave a person’s sins, he told them to go and sin no more.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes faithfulness as: firm adherence to promises or observance of duty.2 Faithfulness is different from working hard. One can work hard without believing in what they are doing, especially if paid for it. But it is quite difficult to stay faithful to something you do not believe in. We cannot gain God’s favor no matter how hard we work. But the Bible tells us that God rewards faithfulness (1 Samuel 26:23a). Biblical faithfulness means continuing to believe in God’s promises even when we have doubt. It means spreading the gospel no matter what challenges are faced. And it means living righteously and without sin.

How do we remain faithful while still struggling against temptation? The Bible provides the answer. Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins.” We must not sin deliberately if we wish to remain faithful. 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He can’t deny himself.” When we are low on faith in the power of Jesus, we can pray and receive the power He offers, He can’t wait to help us. The only way to be faithful is to depend on the power of Jesus’ sacrifice every day! Finally, if we are faithful, we are promised the reward of eternal life. Revelation 2:10b “Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Questions

Can you describe what it means to be a faithful Christian?

If we stumble in sin does this mean we have been unfaithful?

What is the only way we can be truly faithful to God?

How far would you be willing to go to remain faithful to God?

Sources

1 Allan and Helen Cruickshank, 1001 Questions Answered About Birds. (1958). Grosset & Dunlap Publishers. New York. Print.

2 "Faithful." Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed December 26, 2017. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faithful.

Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: adriankirby via www.pixabay.com

All verses were taken from the World English Bible (WEB) published 2000 in the public domain.

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 27: Faithful Nut

Key Verse

“Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh.” Genesis 13:18 (WEB)

Lesson

One of the most well-known trees is the oak tree. There are over 600 species of oak tree around the world.¹ Although the oak is a common tree in many parts of the world, this is not the main reason for its fame. The oak tree is so well-known because of its toughness. It is one of the hardest woods available. It is the wood chosen when a craftsman desires to make something durable, strong, and long-lasting. Oak is so tough, a ship made from oak in the American Revolutionary War named “Old Ironsides” could withstand cannonballs. When they hit the sides of the ship they just bounced off!²

The oak tree has been respected and valued in many cultures for centuries because of its durability. But why is it so durable? Because it grows very slowly.¹ This allows the wood inside the tree to become very dense and tough. The tree has more time to build a strong foundation and root system because it does not rush to grow tall. Oaks grow so slowly some live thousands of years and can become a landmark. The oak tree Abraham pitched his tent beside in Genesis 13 was already a landmark because it was called the Oak of Mamre.

Oak trees also do not produce seeds until they are between 20 and 50 years old.3 They wait until they are mature before producing acorns to become other trees. People have wondered how such a mighty tree as the oak can grow from such a small acorn. It is because the tree is faithful and disciplined. It does not rush or hurry to be a great tree. Instead it faithfully absorbs the nutrients from the soil, the sunlight, and the rain. It waits to produce its seeds until it is truly ready-it is disciplined.

When fully mature, the oak tree gives back much. It provides acorn nuts for food, it provides shelter to many animals, and when it finally dies it continues giving through the use of its wood. But it can only give so much back because it was faithful and disciplined until it became something great. Every day it was faithful or dedicated to doing the little things. It was disciplined and continued doing them even when it might not have wanted to. It was disciplined and waited until it was mature before producing seeds. Abraham lived next to this mighty tree and worshiped there as well. This is ironic because Abraham was also a good example of faithfulness and discipline. He waited years to see God fulfill his promises but in the end was thankful he did. David Icke summed up the oak tree well when he said, “Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground."4

Questions

What is your favorite tree?

What are some specific ways that Abraham showed faithfulness and discipline?

How can you practice faithfulness or discipline in our lives?

Sources

1 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/oak.aspx

2 http://www.history.com/news/how-uss-constitution-became-old-ironsides-200-years-ago

3 https://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=5432

4 http://mobile.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/davidicke359826.html?src=t_oak

Written by David F. Garner
Photo Credit: Alexandru Galamb (a.k.a. graphicus)