Roots, hidden from view, grow down into the earth before any green shoots appear on the surface. So it is with our growth in Christ. We can’t expect any green shoots, let alone any fruit, unless we have a strong, hidden root system.

Roots absorb water and nourishment so that the plant can grow. Are you rooted near the stream of living water which will never dry up, or are some of your roots relying on puddles of water which could dry up at any time?

One way to test out your roots is to notice how you react when one of the ‘puddles’ you rely on lets you down. This may be a person, a possession, an ambition, a routine or an expectation. The more deeply you are upset, the more reliance you must have been placing on this particular ‘puddle’.

Put your trust in the only totally reliable and faithful one. Let yourself be deeply rooted by the stream where living water flows.

Strong roots anchor us securely so that when storms come we can stand firm. The Lord never promises his children an easy life, or immunity from such storms. When they blow, we shall find them just as powerful as everyone else. The difference is that in God we are ultimately safe, and in his strength no storm, however powerful, is able to overcome us. Nothing – absolutely nothing – can ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.