THE RIGHT ROOT
Memorise: And have no root
in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or
persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. Mark
4:17
Read: Mark 4:16-17, 16 And these are they
likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or
persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
MESSAGE
In a marathon, not everyone who starts the race reaches the finish line.
Several people drop out of the race due to one reason or the other. In the same
way, several people are dropping out of the race to meet Christ the Redeemer on
the last day. The parable of the sower reveals some of the reasons why people
will not get to the finish line of the Christian race. One of such reasons is
not being rooted and grounded in the word of God. Jesus gives further insight
into this in Mark 4:17
“And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution
ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”
The root of a tree is very important to its survival. If you cut down
every part of most trees and leave the roots, the tree will spring up again.
All the nourishment that sustains the fruits, leaves and branches of a tree are
received through its roots. Also, it is the roots that hold the tree when the
wind comes against it. If the roots are few or tiny, the tree will also be
limited in its ability to feed and stay fixed; but if the roots are many, big
and strong, the tree will feed well and endue. Note that every tree has roots
whose size is directly proportional to the size of the tree. It is therefore
the size of your root in Christ that will determine how big you will grow in
His kingdom. A heavy wind blew one rainy day and it caused a big tree located
by the roadside to fall. People marvelled that such a huge tree could be
brought down by the wind, but after they looked closely, they discovered that
the roots of this tree did not go deep enough into the ground, and so the
bottom of the tree appeared flat. No wonder it fell!
In the Christian faith, the root refers to the foundation on which one’s
faith in Jesus is established. If the foundation is bad, it will definitely
affect the growth and stability of the tree. Any fruit produced will have
problems if the root is not the right size or does not go deep enough. Many
believers who bungled their trip to Heaven had a bad foundation in Christ.
Either their roots were developed wrongly, or their roots did not go deep
enough. This is why care should be taken to groom young converts very well
through the teaching of the word. They should be exposed to the sincere,
undiluted milk of the word (1st Peter 2:2).
What is the state of your foundation in Christ? Do you have big, Strong roots
that can give you stability until the race ends?
Prayer Point
Father, give me the right
roots that will make me grow into a gigantic tree in your kingdom.
1 Comments
Yeah...its a thought provoking message...i feel in some areas my roots are strong..but in other areas they are shaky..i pray to be strengthened in these areas of struggle.
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