ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN THE FAITH

 Do You Have DEEP ROOTS?

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. I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, 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 to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

As I grew in my faith, my desire to have deeper roots became stronger and stronger, and the only way those roots were going to get deeper was if I spent time with the Father. So the morning hours became my time to help my roots grow deeper in Christ. With out this time I would have remained more of a surface Christian with out knowing God better and better. 

Pauls illustration that he used to speak the Ephesians is a good one to help us . We see that from prison, Paul wrote a letter that summarizes the gospel of Jesus Christ. I see Paul has a pastors heart as he reached out to the church as he prayed for them, as he prays that the believers would be strengthened with power through Christ’s Spirit in their inner being

So that He would dwell in their hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:16-17). Paul wanted to see the people of the Ephesian church grow deep roots. So they could be “rooted and established in love” and would grasp the full measure of God’s abundant love. He wanted to see this abundant love displayed between each of its members, as they grew closer to God and each other.        (vv. 17-18).

Friends as believers in Jesus, we need to do more than just sink our toes into the gospel sand on our sea shores, we need to sink our roots deep into the well fertilized soil of God's word, of God's love. we need to get down to where we get the stuff we need to make us strong. Yes, as we graft ourselves to Jesus more and more, His spirit will help us produce more fruit.

Yes, strength and fruit that will be good and solid able to weather the storms that come, that would other wise bend us and break us, but because of Jesus we can withstand the storms that come, because our roots go down into the love grace and power of God through the work of the Holy spirit in our lives. Are you willing to take the time it takes to put down roots that will withstand those storms? Friend if we are going to face our near futures, we need to get rooted.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come into your presence on a regular bases, to become well grafted into you the vine, you are my strength and shield. Lord, help me find the substance I need to sustain me during the tough times, in the midst of the storm. Not only in the storm, but when the storm winds slacken, I can flourish because my roots are in you and you have me held in the palm of your hand, you are my God, in you I stand, on you I depend when the storm is beat against me. Please Lord establish my roots in your love, so I will bear much fruit for you, and that I would bring glory and honour to your name. For it is in your name I pray                     AMEN