ListenDaily - 24 March 2009; Rooted and established
I am praying for your roots...
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
1 Corinthians 14:18-28 (find this or any other passages at www.Biblegateway.org)
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love..."
Paul follows this with a list of very important things - but let us not skip over this very important phrase; "...rooted and established in love..."
Harking back to Paul's writing in his letter to the Corinthians, "Now I will show you the most excellent way." Then comes the famous 'love' passage. Here Paul says, "rooted and established". That means you must have been planted in, and have grown in, love. You plant grass seed in good soil, but there is a change when what is seen above the roots, your lawn, becomes 'established'. At that point, it can handle a dry spell, it will make it through people walking on it, for it is rooted and established. The appearance may occasionally be dry, but the roots are sound and strong.
For us to make it to the point where we:
1) "may have power" and,
2) togetherness "with all the saints",
3) and have the ability to understand "the love of Christ",
4) and know "love that surpasses knowledge"
5) and can be "filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
We must first be "rooted and established in love".
Today, I pray for each of you, that your roots are deep in the love of God, the love that is God...and that what is seen above the roots become well established, and I ask that you pray that for someone else.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. What does 'rooted and established mean to you, in your own relationship with your Father?
2. For whom have you prayed today?
3. Will you pick one person, out of your normal circle, and pray for them every day during this study?
AN INVITATION!
Come join the First Church of Facebook (no, this isn't a joke!)
Go here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63164484154
INTERESTING THOUGHT:
"The blast of temptation struck down the leaves, but the root stood fast."
Theophylact
No comments:
Post a Comment