Psalm 1:2-3

2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Be so rooted in your faith that when the wind comes, you don’t fall down. When the storms come, you stay standing. Sometimes it takes a storm to help you grow, but if you aren’t rooted in God, you will not last. Being rooted in God is necessary to go and grow in this life. Storms are a part of life. It’s just a fact. But with God, storms can be fuel in our growth.

-           Ephesians 4:22

22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

Sometimes God uses the storm to throw off the old way of thinking and living. When storms come, we can see that it’s the old and dead parts of a tree that fall. In the same way, God uses storms in our lives to remove the old and dead parts in our lives. We have to be sure that we are rooted in God, because He will maintain and cultivate the good and allow the bad to die.

Storms are necessary to break off the old, to make room for the new, stronger branches. God removes our weaknesses so that He can replace it with His strength. New branches are necessary for good fruit. You cannot grow God’s holy fruit on your old branches, meaning you cannot do as God wants you to with your old way of living.

Matthew 9:17

17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

We must allow God to make us new, because our old way of living cannot produce good fruit. It isn’t biblically possible; trying to put good fruit on bad branches will only hurt us in the long run. Trying to place new wine in old wineskins will only cause us to burst. We must allow God to move within us and through us, leaving our old lives behind, because holding on to the old takes away the life God is trying to give to us.

It is time to allow God to prune us, cultivate us, and help us to walk and do as He has called us. Storms are meant to build us up and build up those around us. Because sometimes our storms are similar, God gives us that test and storm so that we can help others get through it. He doesn’t fill us up so we can stay full; He fills us up so that we can overflow into other people.

-           2 Corinthians 1:4

4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Our experiences aren’t our own. We are called to be comfort and encouragement to others. We are called to build others up with the things that have built us up. The storms we go through in life, others are bound to go through at some point. God has called us to be a guiding light to those around us. We can help others maneuver and navigate through life and the storms they go through, because we have gone through the same.

We must help others to be rooted in God and continue to grow by being a light to them. Trees are often connected in a bigger way through their roots. Giving each other the nutrients and necessities needed to grow. In the same way, together we can root ourselves in God and connect to each other. In that way, we can grow together and share the things we need for our growth in God.

Being rooted in God goes so much farther than us. We are called to share what God has already shared with us. His mercies, his grace, his wisdom. The food for our spirits, the word of God, is meant to be shared with others rooted in God. We are all trees in the same system, all soldiers in the same fight; we are called to fight together.

-           John 16:33

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

In this life, trials, tribulations, and storms will come. But when you’re rooted in God, you are an overcomer. Just as Christ overcame the world. That same spirit lives within us to overcome.

God is for you, not against you. He wants to use the storms in life to help you grow. It’s up to you to be rooted in Him. Your growth is in your hands; choose how you will respond. So, take heart, be rooted, and stay connected. And God will make a way.

Reflection

(Be honest with yourself. God wants you to understand who you are and what you can do to help yourself draw near to him. Understanding yourself in a deeper way will only help your walk with God.)

What storm is trying to uproot you from God’s will?

What is an area in your life that you can root further in God’s will?

Think of one key habit that you can start to root yourself deeper in God’s will and practice it daily.

How can you use your experiences to encourage others to be more rooted in Jesus?