May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. Eph. 3:17b TLB
During the spring our various shade trees produce millions of seeds. They fall from the trees, settle and take root in the sidewalk cracks, hedge, fence line and all through my flower beds. When small, they are pulled easily enough after a rain. And no matter how many I pull each year, a new crop sprouts the next spring. The real problem develops when I miss a sprout and its roots have gone too deep to pull. Unable to spray the persistent tree among my flowers, it grows new shoots year after year and continues to thrive.
The Bible often refers to or hearts as fertile ground. Like the seeds that fall from the trees, many unwanted things can take root there; greed, envy, hostility to name a few. If left to thrive, they may be extremely difficult to uproot. Paul knew that the soil of the heart was vulnerable. He uses the analogy of the heart being the soil, fertile and ready for the planting. How important, then that we root out sin before it grows deep roots.
Lord, you are the author of love. You are love. May you so fill our hearts that there is no room for sin to take root Amen.
Madeline (NE)