Monday, March 23, 2020

Deep Roots

I remember quite a few years ago living in place where we had all these scraggly willow trees that served as a hedge around our front yard. Half of them were dead or dying and they looked terrible so in a moment of intense motivation I decided I was going to tear out all these eye sores and start from scratch, planting some nice fresh lilacs.

My enthusiasm was soon met with a formidable foe: roots! Even though we had a backhoe for the major work, I still battled against those stubborn roots as they emulated the energizer bunny and kept going and going...

One thing that really struck me about those roots was how alive and strong were the ones that were underneath trees that seemed half-dead above ground.  I have been thinking about this the last few days...

Roots really matter.  They anchor us, hold us up under intense storms.  They don’t get a lot of attention but provide invaluable foundations that help us to stand.  And sometimes even when our visible everyday lives go through a beating, to the point when we can feel half-dead, we can be surprised when our roots hold us firm.

The wisdom of God’s Word tells us that the things of this world are fleeting, that they can get pretty beat up with the storms that come.  It also tells us that there are things that provide for us anchors that are unaffected by anything this world can throw at us.

Ephesians 3:17 says that if you find your life in Jesus then you are rooted and established in love. It says that this love is powerful and that it has the ability to provide for us in ways that go beyond our ability to even comprehend.

This love is much more than just a feeling, it is a truth that declares that in Jesus we are now rooted and established in Him.  He is love and we are now found in that place of provision and protection.

Rooted and established in a love that is pointed directly toward us, infusing us, watching over us, caring for us, and guiding us.

My life may look like it has been ravaged by storms; it may seem that I am found in circumstances that are beyond my control and as such, that my life is in danger.  But if you thought this you would be wrong.  Why? Because I am rooted and established in love and that Love has got me well in hand.

Maybe you feel like you are hanging on by a thread; maybe you don’t feel like you have roots that will weather the storm.  Jesus is more than willing to root you in His love, and that changes everything.

There is nothing in all creation, including Covid-19, and governmental mandated shut down of whole economies, that can separate you from the love of Jesus.

Here’s to new roots...

B

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