Day 182: Back to Our Roots

Mark 4:14-20

The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.  Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Many of us are living on the prayers of our mothers and grandmothers. There is someone out there praying for us and making sure we follow the right path and praying for us to find that path again when we stray off of it. Not all of us grew up in church, but for those of us who did, there was a seed planted in us at an early age to know that God is the way to go. We knew from a very young age that we have to pray, we have to read our bibles we have to go to church. If you’re like me, none of that resonated with you until you were older, but you always had that seed of faith inside of you. If not knowing God completely, knowing of God atleast. Our parents and grandparents planted the seed in us, but they couldn’t water it too.

1 Corinthians 3:6

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

Sometimes we have to water our own plants, we know who to go to, our parents/guardians, or elders have planted a seed within us, now it’s time to water it so those roots can grow. When we have no roots it’s easy for us to be plucked up out of the dirt, but when we are rooted on good soil and our roots have grown all the way down, then it’s going to take a lot of effort for us to be plucked up. That’s where we have to be with our faith, sometimes we have to go back to our roots and remember where they’re planted. When we are firmly planted in Christ we cannot be easily moved. We have to remember the seed that was planted in us years ago when we were little babies, when our parents dedicated us back to the Lord, or when we somebody was praying for us. Even if you didn’t grow up in church, somewhere or sometime in your life someone planted that seed in you.

I love plants and I love the whole idea or analogy of roots growing. Before the plant grows, the flower blossoms, or the tree grows, first the roots grow down into the earth, It may look like nothing is happening but there is work to be done underground before the flower can blossom. The roots have to grow down and create a connection with the earth so that when the tree does grow, or the flower blossoms, it’s won’t topple. It won’t fall over because it is firmly planted in the ground. There are four major functions of the root, according to wikipedia.

1) Absorption of water and inorganic nutrients,

2) Anchoring of the plant body to the ground, and supporting it,

3) Storage of food and nutrients,

4) Vegetative reproduction and competition with other plants.

The roots not only stabilize the plant, but it gives it water and nutrients, it gives it everything it needs. Without the roots the plant would not be able to survive.

We cannot survive if our roots are not planted in God’s word, it is the good soil we need to be planted in in order for our roots to be strong and healthy, It is through Christ that we are able to have a relationship with God, and he is feeding us, and stabilizing us, and making sure our spirits are healthy and growing. That is when we start to grow in Christ. We get everything we need from Him.

Reflection

1. Where are your roots planted?

Prayer Time

Allow your answer to the above question guide your prayer today. Talk to God about being rooted in Him.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening, be sure to come back tomorrow for Day 183!

Day 56: Don't Give Up!

You ever think about giving up, because it would be so much easier. Things can get so hard sometimes, to the point that we would rather not deal with it. Sometimes giving up seems so much easier. Let me be the first to tell you that easy isn’t always good. Let me also be the first to tell you that you are still here, for a reason. God hasn’t given up on you so don’t give up on yourself.

2 Chronicles 15:7

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

As I write this with tears running down my face, I must say that sometimes the hardest thing to do is hold on. When we don’t see anything happening, when we have been praying, and pleading, reading our bible, and doing everything we know is right. We still have to wonder, why am I still struggling. Why does it seem to get harder, why does everything seem like it’s getting worse. But it is in these moments, in the moments when we are ready to throw in the towel or give up everything. These are the moments where we take everything that we have and hold tighter. The moments  when praying is the hardest thing to do, we pray harder. This is when we truly grow in our faith and dive deeper into the Lord, because one day it will pay off. I know it’s hard, I know it sucks, I know our shirts and pillows are soaked with tears, but one day we will weep in joy, One day our work, our faithfulness, it all will be rewarded. We reap in harvest time.

There is a time between planting and harvesting, and that is called growing season. We cannot just give up in the middle of growing season or we will never see the fruit of the seeds we’ve planted. The growing season is the time where you have to water the plants for weeks and mouth before you even see a stem sprout. It’s the time where you have to cut the weeds so that plants can grow properly, We do a lot of work during growing season, but it is the consistency that keeps us going. We hold on the picture we see that one day this tiny plant will be a huge tree, it may not look like it now, but that small sprout, needed some time to grow it’s roots, so that when it grew, it would be unmoveable.

It’s the same with us, we are going through our growing season, and we will go through many of these throughout our life. It’s the time where we don’t see that God is working because everything seems to be spiraling out of control. But our faith and knowledge of His plan for our lives keep us going. By faith we know that God is working on our behalf. He is watering, he is feeding us nutrients, cutting away the weeds that get wrapped around us. He is rooted us in Him so that we will be unmovable. One day it will be harvest time. He says that we will receive the proper harvest in due time if we do not give up. We’ve come too far to turn around, we’re almost there we have to push through it. We have to know that the Holy Spirit is right there guiding us, Jesus is at the right hand of God cheering us on and interceding for us. Although the devil is betting against us, God knows that we are going to get through this. THere are so many people rooting for us, the first of them being our heavenly father.

I know it’s hard but it’s so worth the fight, everything we are going through is worth it. What makes it so bearable is that Christ is on our side. I know the fight is long, and we feel like we don’t have any swing left in us. But Jesus is in our corner, we have some fight left in us, It might take all the strength we have, but when we are running off of the strength of Christ, we can do things we never thought we could. Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens. Nothing is exempt, no matter what it is, we find our strength in Christ and we can do it, whatever “it” may be, we can get through it. God isn’t done with us yet. Hold on, keep fighting, keep watering. The harvest is coming.

It’s okay to cry right now, but keep fighting, even if you fight with tears running down your face. Keep fighting. Give yourself three minutes to feel bad for yourself, and then you get up and you keep fighting. You have to keep pushing, whatever you do, don’t give up. You may slow down but don’t stop, keep going!!!

Psalms 126:5

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

Reflection

1. Are you going through a hard time right now?
2. Have you ever been in a place where you felt like giving up, or are you currently in that place?
3. What stopped you from giving up?
   
   

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions to guide your prayer today. Maybe you are not in a place today where you feel like giving up, and that is amazing. But take the time to pray for those who are, pray that they are strengthened in their faith and find hope in Christ.

If you are going through this right now, reread the passages above, know that Christ is rooting for you, know that God has His hand on you. Everything you are going through is worth the fight because the reward will surpass it all. I know it’s hard right now but keep going. Open your heart to God, even if you have no words, He knows what you are going through. Even if all you have to give at the moment are tears, God sees them. Know that we fight strength in His word, and through His son. Don’t give up, God’s got you.