ROOTED AND GROUNDED

Greetings Strong Rooted Ones. Are ya still standing? If you ever been through...or been close to a tornado...you know that nothing is immune to the strong winds...and the strong winds are no respecter of persons. Big T can level a house or gently take the pictures out of a picture frame and leave the frame intact on the wall. Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief can either be spared or killed at the hand of the mighty rushing winds. Oh sure...insurance companies pontificate that these destructive forces are "acts of God"...and to be sure...swirling winds are no match for the power of God...but how about passing on some of the blame as an "act of the devil". This first collage is a picture of a tree that was once a mighty tree guarding my property...until a high wind caught it and brought it to the ground like David bringing down Goliath. On the surface the tree looked pretty much intact except for a few dead branches here and there...but once it was brought down....the true ROOT of the problem was exposed....DEAD ROOTS. On the surface...good...below the surface...bad.

So it is with our spiritual lives....looking good on the surface...but then BAM... caught in adultery...WHOP...arrested for drunken driving...KA-BLOOM... caught in a lie...KER-BLUNK...conflicts with the pastor, other church members, someone didn't speak to you...you take an offense (of course you didn't have to take it) and off to the races as you enter into the steeplechase in your quest to find the "perfect church" (except it ceased being perfect when you arrived). Why? I think...especially as I look at ALL OF MY LOW POINTS IN MY CHRISTIAN WALK (I know you find that hard to believe...since I am perfect)...goes deep to a POOR ROOT SYSTEM. NOTE: Please don't write me and remind me that there is only "one perfect...and that is Jesus." I was speaking with TONGUE IN CHEEK.

Here are a few ROOT FACTS:

The ROOT SYSTEM...is usually:

--underground
--Anchor the plant/tree in soil
--Absorb water and nutrients
--Conduct water and nutrients
--Food storage

Bad ROOT SYSTEMS....will not act as an anchor...will not provide needed nutrients...will be poor conduits for what is need to survive...and will not store food...when there are droughts and dry spells. So it is in our spiritual lives...been in a dry spell lately...how's your ROOT STORAGE SYSTEM.

We are called to be ROOTED and GROUNDED in LOVE..."That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be STRENGTHENED with power through His Spirit in the inner man...SO...that Christ may dwell in your hearts, through faith; and that you being ROOTED and GROUNDED in LOVE..may be able to comprehend with ALL THE SAINTS what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST that you may be FILLED UP WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD." (Ephesians 3:16-19)

ROOTED: To become stable
GROUNDED: To lay a basis for, erect, settle, foundation

These words speaks of a stability in stormy times. It speaks of the basis for safety. It speaks of something established in me...versus being tossed about between two waves on the winds of doubt, fears, frustration, unbelief, etc. (James 1:1-12)


What really kicked off my ruminating on roots...was reading the PRO-VERB (positive-action word) for the 12th....in Proverbs 12:3..."A man will NOT be ESTABLISHED by wickedness...but the ROOT of the righteous WILL NOT BE MOVED." I understand that there is NONE righteous no not one (Romans 3:10)...but I also know that "the righteous" shall live by faith (Romans 1:17)...and I also know that we are the "righteousness of God...IN CHRIST." (II Corinthians 5:21). Between no one being righteous...and the righteous walking by faith...is THE CROSS...D.B.R...NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS. This is where our ROOTS sink deep into. If they don't...then the ROOTS...become ROT...and there ain't nothing worse than ROTTED ROOTS...cause that's when the winds can wreck havoc in our spiritual lives.

Our ROOT SYSTEM is determined by where we walk (counsel of the wicked), stand (path of sinners) ,and sit (seat of scoffers). (Psalm 1:1) NOTE: Notice the progression of downfall is walking....stopping to a standstill...until you are sitting with no movement)

The key is DELIGHT AND MEDITATION (music to a ruminator's ears). Delights in the law...and meditates day and night on His law (mooing and chewing on the Word of God)
(Psalm 1:2)

The cause and effect of doing this is...(1) be like a tree FIRMLY PLANTED by streams of water (2) the leaf will NOT WITHER (3) whatever he does ...HE PROSPERS. (Psalm 1:3)

The contrast is that the wicked are not so...(Psalm 1:4-6) IT IS ALL BASED ON WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED AND WHERE YOU SET YOUR ROOTS.

We are called to be rooted and grounded in LOVE (Ephesians 3:16,17).

We are called to be (1) steadfast (2) immovable (3) always abounding in the work of the Lord (4) knowing that our toil is NOT IN VAIN...IN THE LORD (Outside of the Lord...it is vain) (I Corinthians 15:58)

As we enter this thing called the "kingdom of God"...it does not mean that the troubles of life cease...just we have ability to go through the storms now. We are called to kingdom living of (1) righteousness (2) peace (3) joy...all in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). Acts 14:21 talks about new believers/disciples...
"STRENGTHENING the souls of the disciples...ENCOURAGING them to CONTINUE in the faith (of the D.B.R.)...and saying...Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:21,22). I am convinced that Paul is talking about laying down DEEP ROOTS...because the ride is going to get rough.
It is interesting that the ROOT word for the word KINGDOM...is basilia...the basis...which means...footing, foundations...

Mark 11:20, Jude 1:12, Mark 13:21...speaks of poor ROOT SYSTEMS in the face of tribulation.


FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

I hope...this encourages you...I know I needed to hear this...to be more careful about my ROOT SYSTEM...and the things that tend to choke out my garden and fruit production (Read the parable of the sower/soil/seed). When it looks like the STORM is winning...when evildoers and wrongdoers seems to...appears to be getting away with murder...take the advice of the Psalmist in Psalm 37:3..."Trust in the Lord...and do good...dwell in the land...and CULTIVATE FAITHFULNESS/feed securely on HIS FAITHFULNESS." (NASB) I like the idea of CULTIVATING....removing weeds, watering, keeping away birds (devil) from the seed...allowing the ROOT SYSTEM to develop... so we can stand...and experience harvest in Him.

Love and Windblown...but not Devastated Kisses
Rodney "Rooted and Grounded in Love" Boyd