“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.”

This saying, in one form or another, has been attributed to many people.  Let's use it today to help us with God's Word as we consider three acorns in I Peter 3:15 and the mighty oaks that can come from them.

First, Christians are told to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.” What seems so simple at first glance is critically important. Before we can minister effectively to others, our own hearts must be consumed with the Lord God. Sanctifying Him in our hearts means that nothing and no one occupies our hearts as He does. He is set apart in our hearts, made holy, so that we naturally speak, think, and meditate on Him. That cannot be overlooked or sidestepped. The acorn will never grow into an oak without our sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts.

Second, Peter instructs us to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” Not only does the Lord occupy our hearts, but we are continuously, consistently ready to tell others why we have hope in Christ. It may begin as an acorn, but our ready telling of our hope can become a towering oak as others trust Christ. Then they tell others, and the others tell others who tell still others, and so on. By God’s grace, the acorn becomes an oak.

Third, the whole process is to be marked by humility. Along with the acorns of sanctifying the Lord in our hearts and being ready to give an answer, Peter writes that we are to minister “with meekness and fear.” This is no afterthought or minor point. This acorn is as important as the first two. Failing to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts means we may minister out of pride. Giving an answer to everyone concerning our hope must not be done in our own strength or intellect. Serving with meekness and fear is absolutely necessary because it means we are remembering that we were once rebels against a holy God. We are forgiven not because we deserve forgiveness but because we have been shown pity and grace in exchange for our sin.

Acorns are small but can become mighty oaks. Peter’s three acorns of truth can likewise lead to mighty accomplishments for God’s glory. Sanctify the Lord in your heart, be ready to give an answer about your hope, and do all of this in meekness and fear.

Let the growth begin.