Originally published Thursday, 18 June 2015.
I want to stand upright when hurricane winds come. "With God, I am strong."
I want to not be concerned with the earth falling all around me. "God has me."
I want to not let my fruit not get dried out by circumstances."God has the best in mind."
But I don't, instead I tend to fall over like a redwood with no roots when the winds come. Worry grips me and the crash resounds so loudly in my heart. It's the weight of I should have done better, I wish I acted differently, I can't believe I didn't trust.
But God says, the man who trusts in the Lord is blessed. (Jer. 17:7)
I want to be that woman - full, complete, with entire trust in God.
And what God says in verse 8, really gets my heart pumping for more:
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jer. 17:8)
We can steer clear of fear, stay green when life gets mean,
not have bouts of doubt in the drought
and share the spirit rather than throw a fit?
Now, I am listening.
If I can just plant my roots down.
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend...and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph 3:17-19
One who has faith in Jesus - and believes what he says -
is nearly unreachable by the devil.
One who has their deep earthly arms wrapped around the love of Jesus,
can't be pulled off of him when circumstances strike.
One who knows the cost of the cross and
draws strength from the purchaser of all sin -
let's that sacrifice keep them in a place of eternal standing.
One who clenches the truth with all their might, isn't afraid to some roots show.
They glow to the world and highlight the giver of all sustenance.
One who is rooted, gets the fullness of God,
not just for themselves but to share with the world.
God holds the one upright whose arms reach deeply and steadfastly
into his Word to seek out all that he is.
This one stands tall, firm and powerfully.
All of this gets me wondering,
how can the devil cut down a tree with roots so plentiful,
so deep, so meaningful, so abundant and so apparent?
Must be hard.
When we deeply plant roots into the love of Christ, we become standing trees who raise our branches in continual worship. We suck in the living water of Jesus Christ and are renewed with his life-giving nutrients, embraced by his creation and stand tall in adoration and appreciation.
Deep roots, forged down, grip the heart of Christ; this is where strength is derived.
They extend needily into his sacrifice and hungrily into promises and God blesses that with renewal, replenishment and revival to the world.
From dead and wanting, to fed and giving in the blink of an eye.
From down and discouraged, to up and encouraged through the nails on the cross.
From hopeless and ruined, to hopeful and 100 feet tall through roots that can't be touched by the world.
God's fruit becomes our great food bank and it is the best tasting thing after fried ice cream.
I'll take some of that - and all of the benefits of deep roots.
The bottom line? It comes down to:
I (God) love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Prov. 8:17
We love God, we seek God, we find God, we find peace, we find life, we find love for others, we find hope in this world, we send it out and nothing can knock us down. Period.
Love = God
God = Love
Love = Deep roots that receive his love.
Love = The way to endure this life.
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