“May you be rooted deep . . and founded securely on (God’s) love.” Ephesians 3:17 AMP.
Grow a life with depth of character, fidelity of discipleship, and sincere spirituality.
My thoughts and comments today are about “rooted and established.”
There is more than a single dimension to a meaningful life. Everyone wants to reach high and spread wide. A successful life has depth. “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power . . to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV. That’s depth! Shallow living is quickly exposed as inadequate for stability and strength. Growth that is high and wide is external; real and enduring growth is first internal and unseen.
Did you know that a tree’s sustainable growth is symmetrical? The tree that spreads its branches wide and towers heavenward will fall with the first strong wind unless its roots sink deeply into the earth. A strong, healthy tree stands because its taproot reaches deeply in proportion to its height, while its other roots extend broadly proportional to its breadth.The spirit of man is that way.
The Bible describes the person who would be, “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so . .” Psalm 1:3-4 NKJV. And what does that person do differently from others? There are several things a successful person does not do: he does not regard the opinions, beliefs, or counsel of the ungodly; he does not companion with sinners; he does not regard lightly what is holy. Read Psalm 1:1 NKJV.
Even more importantly, this is what a successful person does. He delights in and does what God says, and his life is absorbed with God’s truth. Psalm 1:2 NKJV. Information only takes you so far, however much you gain and however highly you prize it. God’s Word is inspiration, giving a rich depth to your life where you draw strength that nourishes and establishes your soul.
It is not information about God that grounds you; it is your intimate, personal knowledge of God and your relationship with Him that deepen your love for Him. Since college, a life verse of mine has been a cry from the heart of the Apostle Paul, “That I may know Him in the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable even unto His death.” Philippians 3:10 NKJV. Power, suffering, death – those are anything but shallow living. The heart with a passion to know Jesus has roots planted deeply where life will flourish for a lifetime.
In His parable about seed and soils, Jesus warned of a sterile, shallow life. “Other seeds fell upon shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly, but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil . . the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.” Matthew 13:5-6/20-21. Go deep. Grow a life with depth of character, consistency of practice, fidelity of discipleship, and sincere spirituality. Attach your life securely to the One who is eternal.
My prayer for you today is that your roots go deeply into God’s character, truth, and love.