“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith” (Colossians 2:6-7).
A tree must have roots in order to be able to withstand strong winds and storms. Probably the largest trees in the world today are the giant redwood trees that grow on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the U.S.A. They can grow up to 350 feet tall (about 107 meters) and can have a circumference of 30 feet (about 9 meters) or more.
Like other trees, when they are not under tremendous stress from conditions such as drought or fire, they channel all their energy into fortifying themselves. They take in nutrients that enable them to put down new, deeper roots and help them branch out in search of sunlight. This helps to ensure that they are strong and better prepared to withstand any adverse conditions that may lie ahead, from wind and rain, to drought, wildfires and more.
What is surprising is that their root systems rarely go down more than 6-12 feet (2-4 meters). But the redwood trees rarely fall over. The reason for this is that their root systems are intertwined with the roots of other redwood trees, so that they hold each other up. They grow very close together, and help each other to survive. They also share nutrients with one another.
These trees teach us a lesson too. We need to be well rooted in the love of Christ, and in the truth of God’s Word, in order not to be knocked over by storms in our lives. But we also need to support one another, like the redwood trees. If we see someone else who seems to be having difficulties, let us support them, so that they can continue on in the Christian pathway. Perhaps at another time, they will be able to be a help to us!