Your Roots

  Your roots

The prophet Jeremiah writes,

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 

It dose not fear when heat comes; its leave are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7,8.

Where are your roots located? Are they in this world or in God? If you are a true believer in Christ Jesus your faith must be rooted in God. For God, and only God, can take you through the good times and the bad times.

For me my relationship with God can be summed up in the twenty-third psalm that reads,

“The LORD is my shepherd, 

I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

he restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” 

                                                                                   Psalm 23

So dear reader is the Lord God almighty the Shepherd of your life?

Please think about it.

Blessed

Blessed

The Psalmist writes,

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; 

love and faithfulness go before you. 

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, 

who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.” 

                                                                                       Psalm 89:14,15.

Do you walk in the light of Gods presence? 

Have you learned to acclaim God? 

When people see your words and deeds do they see God reflected in those words and deeds?

Please think about it.

Ultimately

Ultimately
The apostle Paul writes,
"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.
While Paul is addressing the Corinthians here the message is also for us today. Paul was used by God to lay the foundation of the faith the Corinthian believers. But Paul warns no one can lay any other foundation than that already laid.
He points out that if believers try building on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or even straw it will be burned away. Resulting in the person entering heaven by the slimmest of margins.
Jesus said,
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” Matthew 16:19-24.
Both Paul and Jesus here are warning Christians not to mix the riches of this world with their faith.
Ultimately the riches of this world will fade away. Everything material possession we have will dissolve away. Only what we have done for God will last.
Please think about it.

By the Grace God has given you

By the grace God has given you
The apostle Paul writes,
"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:1-15
Here Paul is making it clear that Jesus must be our foundation. The teachings of Christ must be paramount in our lives. We must build our faith on Christ and no one else.
He warns that we must be careful how we build on that foundation. We cannot build on this foundation using earthly logic using earthly wisdom.
Sadly many people who say they are Christians do not build their foundation on the teachings of Jesus. They choose to follow a particular teacher, preacher or evangelist.
Men however are fallible. They fall into temptation. When this happens those who are followers of them quite often fall with them and turn from God.
In Matthews gospel we read of Jesus saying,
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27.
My question to anyone who considers themselves a Christian is, is your faith build on the words of Christ Jesus?
If so are you putting them into practice?
Please think about it.