Deep and Wide Roots

Eight years ago, I did some remodeling for an elder at a church here in Chattanooga.  I installed a new bathtub with drain and tub controls, so I had to crawl under the house to make the connections.  I discovered huge tree roots growing on the surface of the dirt all under the house.  These roots were growing towards water.  At some time in the past there must have been leaks in the drainpipes, and the roots had found a good source of water.  But the roots had grown from considerable distance.  I would have never known that the big tree in the side yard had roots growing thirty feet out had I not seen them under the house!  Those tree roots must have been growing in all directions, but just undetected because they were underground … I just saw the ones visible under the house.  Paul reminds us that we receive Jesus Christ by faith in God, and we grow in the Christian life the same way: by faith.  Colossians 2:6&7, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”  We are taught in small groups, Sunday school classes, and Godly preaching services and we grow spiritually.  Our spiritual roots go deep and wide gaining nourishment from reading the Bible, praying, and listening to great teachers.  We need to grow in Christ every day!  We may not immediately see the results, but our spiritual roots go deep into the Word of God and the knowledge of Jesus and God the Father.  Hey, grow close to God today.  Dig deep into His Word and grow!

Wandering

Last week, I saw on the back of a Jeep, “All who wander are not lost.”  I get it.  But I am afraid that the driver mistook “wandering” for “exploring”.  If you explore, you are looking around the next corner for something new.  If you wander, you are aimlessly looking about searching for something.  You are lost.  One of the most precious verses in the Bible is Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  That is because I was lost, but now Jesus Christ found me.  Interesting.  I was wandering, but Jesus found me!  Hey, are you wandering?  Are you looking for peace?  Are you looking for purpose in life?  Let me show you the way home.  Message me right now and I can show you the way back to the Good Shepherd.  He’s looking for you!

Hunger

Last night, I picked up a Your Pie pizza for our supper.  And before you berate me for unhealthy food choices, it was very healthy.  It contained all five of the major food groups.  So, there!  I got home, and we began to eat.  The first piece was outstanding, the second piece was good, but the third piece was just so-so.  The more that I ate, my hunger subsided, and the less that I wanted to eat.  But isn’t it interesting that our hunger for reading the Word of God is exactly the opposite?!  The more you read God’s Word, the more you want to read!  Hey, in Ezra 3, the Babylonian exiles returned to their hometown of Jerusalem after 70 years!  They rebuilt the wall (under Nehemiah), they rebuilt the altar, and they rebuilt the Temple.  And when they cleaned out rubble to rebuild the Temple, they discovered the long-lost copy of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).  Ezra declared a fast (in Nehemiah 8), called all the people together, and read the Book of the Law … for three hours!  Then, he explained what he had just read!  How would you like a five-hour preaching service?!  But the people loved it because that was the first time that they had heard the reading of God’s Word in 70 years!  The more that Ezra read, the more that the people wanted to hear it read!  The key is found in Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”  Hey, prepare your heart, then feast upon the living Words of your heavenly Father.  Read the Bible!  You’ll love it!