Submitted by Sam Nobles
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“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in
him,
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rooted and built up in him and established in the faith,
just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)
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Once upon a time there was
a lovely shade tree growing on a hillside. One day, as the clouds overhead grew
dark and the wind began to blow, the shade tree was rocked back and forth. The
poor tree was creaking and groaning under the intense pressure of the wind.
When the storm finally passed, the shade tree wisely said to itself, “I’ve got
to become stronger. I must ready myself in the event that another storm should
arise.” So the shade tree began extending its branches and producing more
leaves, making the tree even more beautiful than before.
No sooner had the tree begun
to branch out that the winds blew once again—this time harder than before. Once
again the poor tree began to creak and groan as the winds blew against it.
Suddenly, it felt itself being pushed over, headed for a terrible crash—when it
lodged against a neighboring oak tree. When the storm passed, the shade tree
said to the oak tree, “How did you survive the storm? How were you strong
enough to not only survive yourself, but to support me when I was falling?” The
oak tree looked at the shade tree and said, “While you were branching out, I
was digging in. While you were spreading your leaves above the surface for
everyone to see, I was digging in below the surface where real strength is
found.”
Are you a shade tree or an
oak tree? Are you sinking your roots deeper and deeper into the Word of God,
understanding and tackling the doctrine written in its pages, or do you say,
“That’s dry. That’s costly. That’s too much work. I want to bud, and branch
out.”
It is my prayer that before
you branch out, you’ll dig deep. Then, when your root system is strong in the
Word of God, you will be able to be effective in the work of God. Dig deep and
study the Word daily.
Come into an understanding
of the great doctrines of justification, sanctification, and redemption. Come
into the understandings of election and sovereignty, of propitiation and
inspiration. And as you grow in the knowledge of God, you will be safe when
wild winds of doctrine try to blow through.
Scripture to Claim:
“…if the root is holy, so are the branches.”
(Romans 11:16)