DEEP ROOTS

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV)

In his book “Like a Rock,” Andy Stanley describes a solitary, two-hundred-year-old, evergreen tree at the edge of a rocky overlook in the Appalachian foothills. Stanley writes, "Through the years, it has defied heavy snow, hailstorms, and the steady, westerly winds rising off the valley floor. From it's vulnerable view of endless ridges and valleys, it has seen conditions that would snap most trees in half. Nevertheless, it stands strong. What's the secret?... The answer lies below the surface. For literally two centuries, the elements have hurled their assaults against the tree. But while storms raged on the outside, the tree quietly developed an inner support system to sustain it. Every gust of wind sent the roots sprawling deeper into the soil, expanding the tree's tenacious grip on the mountain..."

Each one of us is like a tree. We are subjected to the stormy elements of life. And when, not if, those storms come, we either snap or grow stronger. What makes the difference is not the strength of the storm but the depth of our relationship in Christ. Sink your roots deep. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson 


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