Storms make trees, take deeper roots

My beautiful daughter painted a canvas with this quote for our dear friend who lost her son in July.  I was reflecting on these words and became overwhelmed with how important they are and how thankful I am that my daughter would say these words as encouragement to someone experiencing great loss such as we have. 

Trees are tall and beautiful, they stand when we fall, and endure through the many seasons.  Did you know there are more than thirty different trees named in the Bible?  Trees are charged with the power and glory of God.  Trees bear fruit to provide nourishment for us.  Trees provide wood for us to build homes and provide necessary warmth.  Trees are majestic and enchanted. 

Isaiah 41:19-20 "I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it."

This started me thinking about the completeness and perfection of trees and how they relate to our life. How this simple statement my daughter made in a canvas is of real significance in our everyday life.  How incredibly thankful I am that we instilled the deep roots into her life from a young age so that she can survive the storms of life.   

The most important part of our tree remains underground. It is hidden. The roots are what ground, or hold the tree in place. Without roots there would be no tree.

2 Kings 19:30 - And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

Our root system should be God and the things of God. While God cannot be seen in us the results of Jesus Christ living in us should be obvious to those around us. I cannot see Jesus Christ in you. You cannot see Him in me. But I hope that you can see the evidence of Christ in my life by the way I live and I in you.

It’s so incredibly important to take deeper roots in Christ because without that firm foundation when things happen such as the loss of a child or brother you will crack.  One of my greatest fears is that many people I love deeply have not taken deep roots and if and when the time comes where they have to face the biggest storm of their life, they might be destroyed.  However, it’s not too start digging those roots deeper and building a foundation that is firm in God. I hope that my example of this will encourage others to do the same. 

The Bible talks about the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: against such there is no law."

When Christ comes into your life and you surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to work on you then many great things happen:

·         Where there was once hatred now there will be love.

·         Sorrow will be replaced by joy.

·         Where turmoil and chaos ruled now there will be peace.

·         A quick temper and a short fuse will be replaced by forbearance and patience.

·         Hardness and resentment will give way to kindness and forgiveness.

·         Selfishness will no longer be dominant but goodness will shine forth.

·         Faith will replace all doubt and fear.

·         Pride will disappear and gentleness will be evident as you humble yourself.

·         Self-control will emerge as a person conquers the flesh and walks in the Spirit.

Just like we cannot see the roots of a tree but know that they have to be there in order for the tree to exist and survive the storm, the evidence of Jesus Christ in a person's life will be demonstrated in a changed heart, life and attitude.

God is the foundation on which our family tree must be built. God must be present in every part of our tree for it to grow and produce.