And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. COLOSSIANS 2:6-7 (NLT)

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My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And your living spill over into thanksgiving.
The Message

We spent the weekend with our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter in the high desert of California. Their yard is similar in nature to the fine gravel used on walking paths. Only the hardiest plants live and thrive there. Four Joshua Trees stretch their arms to the sky in the backyard. Varieties of cactus stand here and there. Agave adds color to the front yard. 

Our son has planted several large, flowering plants along one fence line to create a beautiful border between their property and that of their neighbors. One of those plants is not thriving and may not survive. It sits in the same soil as the other plants. It receives the same amount of water. The sunshine practically never ends. Yet it appears weak and likely to die. 

Our daughter and son-in-law recently put in a new yard, this time in front of their house. They put new grass in the backyard last year to the delight of their puppy who had spent his first year living in an apartment and visiting a small dog park a few times a day. 

New yards in Fort Worth require daily watering and good fertilizer to make the roots sink in quickly. 

Paul the Apostle tells us we are to sink our roots down into Christ. The way to thrive and grow and become all we can be is to bloom where we are planted. We will not thrive if we do not allow our roots to sink into the rich goodness of Jesus. The good result of becoming deeply rooted in Christ is an overflowing thankfulness. Gratitude is inevitable and natural when we know Jesus as a friend and not merely as an acquaintance. 

The oleanders our son planted will spring up, spread out, and produce beautiful flowers when they become deeply rooted even in that arid land. The more deeply rooted we are in Jesus, the more beautiful our lives are for all to see, even in less than ideal circumstances. 

How well we thrive in life is largely based on where we sink our roots. Those who thrive best are those who sink their roots in Jesus. One who does thrives even in the harshest of circumstances. Autumn is here. Winter is coming. Now is the time to sink your roots deep into the vital nourishment of Jesus.

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I will thrive as I become ever more deeply rooted in Jesus.

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Our Father, I want to grow strong in the truth I was taught. I want to live a live overflowing with thanksgiving. I want to thrive. Sink my roots deeply into Jesus. I want to live and to grow in a manner demonstrating the beautiful effects of your grace and mercy. Amen.