Roots

What holds you to your values? What keeps you going on when you feel you can no longer go on? I would have to say it is our roots. Each of are grounded to something that keeps up connected as well as helps us to hold on when the storms of life come upon us. Psalm 1 reminds us...

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

What keeps us grounded? According to the psalmist the word of God. There we find hope, counsel, wisdom and examples on how to live out our faith in a world that is far from grounded. Over the last few days, I have been reading through the book of Jeremiah and have discovered this young prophet was facing some troubling times both for himself and for the nation he was trying to lead. While his ministry and personal life were trying, he found strength in God's promise found in Jeremiah 9:23-24...

This is what the LORD says: 
      "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
       or the strong man boast of his strength
       or the rich man boast of his riches,
         but let him who boasts boast about this:
       that he understands and knows me,
       that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
       justice and righteousness on earth,
       for in these I delight,"        declares the LORD. 


I personally love the first part of verse 24; but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me.


Let me encourage you to make a point of knowing God, this is only possible when we read his word and make it habit to apply it to our lives. If you will do this you will find yourself being grounded and being a well planted tree.