Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

If there is one thing that I've learned since moving from a big city to a more country-like setting, it's about root systems. I knew nothing about plants, flowers or weeds for that matter but having them all around me now, I can appreciate why the Word of God likens us and our faith walk with the roots of trees and plants. In the Parable of the Sower, one of the plants that sprang up quickly but then died was from the seed that fell in rocky places. The plants wound up being scorched by the sun because they had no root (Matthew 13:5-6). The life of a tree or a plant depends entirely on its root system.

In the same way, the Word of God tells us that we must be rooted as well. Our roots are to go down into Jesus Himself. We are to be firmly dug in, growing in depth and we are built upwards in our faith. There can be no large growth on top of the soil if there are not deep roots underneath the soil. Jesus is the soil that we send our roots into. Our roots go down into Him as we live our lives in Him as the passage of scripture above says. That means a real and intimate relationship with Him through prayer, the Word and staying connected to His Body, the Church. It means sending our roots down into Jesus, the Living Water, just as a tree planted by streams of water sends its roots down to its water source (Psalm 1:3).

We have every reason to be able to thrive and grow in our faith as Jesus has provided the means for us to do so. Once we are rooted in Jesus, all we need to do is drink from our source of life. Not only will we be built up and be fruitful in season and out of season, but we ourselves will become the source of rivers of living water for lost and thirsty souls around us who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Be rooted in Jesus and live and become a source of life for everyone around you!

Pastor Joey Vazquez