That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. – Ephesians 3:17-19
It is hurricane season here in Florida. As I write this, we are bracing for the second major storm in two weeks. After one of the hurricanes last year, I remember driving around, looking in amazement at the number of fallen trees. The thing that struck me most was how shallow the roots of these enormous towers were, thus allowing the strong winds to knock over even large trees. In calm weather, when everything was smooth, they appeared to be massive and strong.
If we were to refer to humans in this way, we would see those who appear outwardly strong and unmovable. We would say or think things like, “She’s a strong Christian,” or “I want to be like her.” Just like those trees, while they appear to grow resilient and to be unshakable, some Christians are missing one key element that will enable them to withstand the storms of life. Unfortunately, some will find themselves vulnerable to the external forces around them because they have not grounded their roots deep enough in God’s soil.
In contrast, I have some smaller plants in my yard that I watched bend and sway with the winds. I even recall questioning why they did not just uproot and fly away! Later, when I intentionally wanted to move these plants, I discovered the answer. They were rooted and grounded with long, firm roots that had grown deep into the soil. The storm’s onslaught did not matter because they were secure in the ground. When they were transplanted, they quickly dug their roots into the new plot to ensure their safety from future storms.
Oh, that we would be more like these hearty plants! We should not be as worried about being the biggest, strongest, or prettiest on the outside; we should be more concerned with how deep our roots are grounded in the Word of God. How beautiful the Bible promise is that we can withstand the storms of life when we are rooted and grounded in Him!
by Melissa Caperton
