Today’s Bible reading is Judges 1 and Ephesians 3.
In what is your heart rooted and grounded?
Take a look at Paul’s prayer for Christians in Ephesians 3:
…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:17-19)
Paul’s earnest desire is that Christians would grow to know the love of Christ to such a degree that they are “rooted and grounded in love.”
In what is YOUR heart rooted and grounded?
Hearts rooted in bitterness yield an ugly harvest of wrath, anger, clamor, and slander.
Hearts rooted in racism don’t love the neighbor with a different color of skin as they love themselves.
Hearts rooted in sexual immorality desire impurity and sensuality more than they desire God.
Hearts rooted in greed lay up treasures for self on earth at the expense of laying up treasures in heaven.
Hearts rooted in envy are discontent to such a degree that existing blessings are taken for granted.
Hearts rooted in jealousy cannot rejoice with the rejoicing.
Hearts rooted in enmity and strife will not forgive, regardless of how much forgiveness has been personally enjoyed.
Darkened hearts rooted in dead soil produce rotten fruit.
The good news? Our heavenly Father is willing and able to uproot our hearts from the darkness and replant us in Christ–in love that surpasses knowledge–that we may be filled with all the fullness of God, bearing the beautiful fruit of his Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Transformed hearts rooted and grounded in love produce priceless fruit to the glory of God.
Upon what does it all depend? This question: in what is your heart rooted and grounded?