In God’s creation, there is so much to marvel at. One such thing is the Redwood tree, which can soar to a height of three hundred feet tall, and whose roots often extend twelve feet below the ground and stretch out more than fifty feet wide!
Often, as I consider the Redwood, my thoughts turn to how the Bible emphasizes that we should be deeply rooted in God.
For example, Paul exhorts us:
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 ESV (bold and italics mine)
But, in Ephesians chapter three, we read of how it is God who extends His “roots” into us:
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV (bold and italics mine)
As we read Paul’s prayer, we may be inclined to think that the love he refers to is the love believers have for one another. But it actually refers to God’s love for believers. So, it is God who extends His roots (of love) into us, that we may be sufficiently nourished to love others. Isn’t that beautiful? This is why Paul prays for believers that they would come to understand the “breadth and length and height and depth” of God’s love for them, that they would be filled with all the fullness of God.”
I rejoice that God has set things up to work this way, because the love we have in our own hearts will never enable us to love others in the way that God desires. Instead, we need the nourishing love of God to overflow from us into their lives.
Well, Paul is not the only one who can pray such a prayer. We can pray it for ourselves. And when we do, let us ask God to help us understand just how much He loves us, so that we may love others deeply.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 ESV