Where are your roots?

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“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.” Jer 17:7-8

I find this scripture so amazing. As we trust in the Lord, our roots are always in Him and there will be no fear or worries when trials come and our lives will always be full of life and bearing fruits such as love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, self-control, gentleness, faithfulness and goodness. (Gal 5:22-23)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matt 6:33

As we anchor our roots in God, seeking His kingdom, He will add to us all that we need and even if there is a drought (financial crisis) in the land, we will still prosper and even when trials come, we will still have the joy of the Lord as our strength. He will never leave us or forsake us. He has equipped us for every battle.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19

I count it a privilege to be able to walk with God on this journey in life. I know that there is so much to learn and so little time, but He has it all planned and we can be assured that it is beautiful. We each walk our own journey, but our God is still the same. He is love and He has good things planned for His children. Let us walk with one another, encouraging each other to look to Jesus every day. Not to rules or culture, but to a person. Let us encourage each other not to seek the will of man or of church, but the will of God. It is only when we look at our world through His eyes that we can see the needs and the hearts of people and only then we can truly respond, in love, the way in which Jesus would respond. Let us not be put in bondage by our own ideas or the ideas of other people, but let us strive to hear His voice every day, above every other voice and to follow Him wherever He may lead us.

Let us be so close and so rooted in Him and His love that rivers of living water will always flow through us and then our leaves will always be green and we will always bear fruit.

You are a word from heaven

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Sometimes you get those times when you just need to hold on. Hold on for dear life until the storm passes. In that moment there's always a choice to jump overboard or to simply hold on. No one wants do go down with a sinking ship, but if the ship is not yet sinking, then maybe it's not time to quit.

You might be feeling pain, hurt, frustration or anger, experiencing financial difficulties, depression, emotional trauma or in the middle of making life changing decisions, but you can know for sure that God has gone ahead of you and is preparing the way.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 ESV)

There is no place, emotionally or physically, where God is not willing to go with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He wraps His arms around us and covers us in His love. There is no need or desire that He cannot satisfy. 

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV)

I dare you today, ask! Ask like you've never asked before. Ask because you know that the God of the universe is listening, waiting to give you the desires of your heart. Sometimes we may not understand the way in which He brings things about, but you surely know that He has your best interests at heart and that your answer is on its way.

There is a beautiful song by Jason Upton called Sons and daughters, where he sings that you are a word from heaven. Never forget that God is just one word away from you, closer than the air you breathe. You do not need to do a thing, just call, just call on His name and His love will find you.

Jason Upton - Sons and daughters

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)