a trainee’s testimony – we need to develop deep roots in the Lord by spending time with Him

In one of the service times last term I was blowing up the leaves that – as usual every autumn – fall from the numerous trees that there are in Bower House… The flow of air that the blower was producing was strong and constant, giving no option to the leaves other than flying somewhere far off the driveway, even those which were wet and stuck to the pavement.

As I was blowing the leaves, a small, very little plant caught my attention. It had grown in the pavement, probably in some soil in between two little stones coated with tar. I tried to blow it away, but I could not. I tried again, now getting the blower closer, but nothing happened. It would not be blown away. Eventually, something made me stop trying to blow it off and I remembered something.

As Christians we are like little plants – we don’t have much power, but if we have deep roots in Christ we will be unshakable, immovable. Sometimes our roots are in something else than Him. As a result, we are easily shaken, and with any small situation we are blown off. Our roots may be in our campus work.

It might be somewhat successful, with some promising contacts, but as soon as they begin missing the meetings or making excuses to have appointments we will collapse and be blown off. We may be enjoying the Lord, but as soon as we suffer some persecution from those with whom we study or work we are rapidly blown away. We need to be rooted in Him, but how?

Roots are something hidden, something that cannot be seen. In order to have roots in the Lord we need to have a hidden life with Him. Everyday we need to spend time with the Lord – personal and intimate time. We need to read the Bible in a personal way, pray personal prayers that no one knows, touch Him, and let Him touch us. Roots are related to our personal, intimate time with the Lord. Day by day, and specially in the morning, we need to spend some time with the Lord. Let Him kiss us with the kisses of His mouth (S.S. 1:2). We desperately need to enter our private room, shut the door and have time with our Father, who is in secret (Matt. 6:6).

If we have a personal time with the Lord every day we will be unshakable because we will be deeply rooted in the only unshakable One. We need to value our personal, intimate time with the Lord. It is precious indeed. May we all be such a little plant who may be growing perhaps in a hard place, but who is still fully rooted in Christ.

[sharing from brother E.C., a recent graduate from the FTTL (the Full Time Training in London) – a little experience of life inspired from doing some practical service while being in the training. ]