Are you Rooted?

I just had to go see it in person.  Completely unaware that this giant beauty was nearby, the picture at the Market Place had drawn me in.   

Illustrated in front of me was a beautiful tree called the Angel Oak.  Just outside of the city of Charleston, this giant tree stands over 400 hundred years old. 

Trees remind us of the importance of depth, growing deep roots. 

There is something majestic about trees.  Their massive branches spreading out and pointing to the sky, pointing to their Creator. I think what enthralls me the most is what is happening underground.  To match the strength and beauty of those enormous branches, these trees have a giant root system that also spreads deep and wide. 

Let me ask you a question: Are You Rooted?  If a storm would come blowing into your life today, have you grown deep roots in your faith to be handle the storm?

Friends, you don’t want to wait for the storm before you put down roots.  Deep roots are essential for trees to be able to endure strong winds and storms.  Without depth, gusts of wind can easily knock over a tree.  

Just like a tree needs depth to withstand the storms of life, God wants me to grow deep roots in my faith to endure difficulties in my life.  He wants the same for you too.

For me, trees are a powerful reminder to get rooted!  I love the verse in Jeremiah 17:7-9, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.  Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

I want us to be like this tree! Our leaves will stay green, and we will keep producing fruit even facing hard times like a drought. Our roots are so deep in God’s word that we are not bothered by the heat.  Friends, this is being rooted.

Seeing this tree in person was one of the highlights of my trip.  The trunk was enormous, the branches were massive, and the leaves were green and lush.  It was truly breath-taking!

Captivated by this tree, I just imagined what this beautiful, old oak tree’s root system looked like below.   I believe there was just as much growth below as I saw above.  Depth!  

Friends, do you have depth in your faith?  I am praying we can all dig deeper into God’s word today and grow massive, deep roots.  When drought or storms come unexpectedly, we will not be bothered, but instead we continue to produce fruit just like the verse in Jeremiah says.  Just like the Angel Oak, I pray we can be rooted.

Love, Jodi