Journaling is a handy way to jot down the truths I learn from God in my time at his feet, my ‘quiet time’. Unfortunately, it so often happens that such a truth stays in my journal and the result is that, when the test comes, I don’t have that wonderful truth to hand. Thus, it happened one morning that, during an inspiring time at the Lord’s feet, I delved into the meaning of being rooted in Christ.
One of the first references that came to mind was Psalm 1:3 [AMP] – ‘”And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].”
And then there is Jeremiah 17:7 – 8 [AMP]:
“Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the LORD
And whose hope and confident expectation is the LORD.
“For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters,
That spreads out its roots by the river;
And will not fear the heat when it comes;
But its leaves will be green and moist.
And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought
Nor stop bearing fruit.”
What wonderful equipment with which to go into the day! Sadly, when the test came later in the day, I was caught unawares, forgetting all I had learned (and jotted down) that morning! I found myself in a situation where I was offended by a relatively harmless comment in a family situation. Caught unawares, I reacted like Jeremiah’s tumbleweed in the desert and, having lost my anchor in Jesus, I spent hours with a seriously heavy heart. However, God’s faithfulness surpasses my fallibility by far – and the next morning He reminded me via an Oswald Chambers “thought for the day” on Instagram: “Fret not.” Of course, I can daily choose to react from my identity in Christ and not wallow in the hurt and be devastated by the apparent lovelessness of someone’s remark!
What a valuable lesson! I could confess my diminutive faith and start the new day. The result: important relationships came through this unscathed.
Paul knew this truth when he reminded the Ephesians of this important fact: “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love …” (Ephesians 3:17 AMP)
The Afrikaans version of this article is found here.