As we were driving into London yesterday, we started to see a whole bunch of trees down just before the 402 on Glengyle Road. Many of these trees were quite large. They had been completely uprooted. Since they were lying on the ground you could see they had a very shallow root system. There must have been some high winds come through and they were knocked down. Since their roots did not go deep enough, the high winds brought them down. Some time ago now I had a neighbour cut down a large pine tree on our front lawn. After we cleaned up all the branches I was left with the stump. I decided to use an axe and get some exercise. Well that was a stupid idea. I thought if I could work my way around and cut through the root system the stump would come out. So I began chopping and working my way around the stump. The roots going out were about a foot in diameter. To my surprise and dismay there was more than one layer and then found out it probably had a taproot also. This tree had deep roots and was well grounded. I eventually borrowed a chain saw, cut off the top of the stump and buried it.
In our spiritual lives, we need to have the same root system as this tree so that the winds cannot blow it down. Colossians 2:6 “just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Paul says in Ephesians 3 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 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, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” It is very important to understand that being rooted in Christ is essential for living in the land. Proverbs 10:30 “The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.” Deuteronomy 28 makes it clear that there are blessings for obedience and there are repercussions for a lack of obedience. “Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.”
We have this promise from God. Colossians 1:21 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” As Christians we need to have deep roots by being grounded in the word of God.
