Today’s guest writer is Kerry Grant who has a strong connection to PK. He’s been involved in Christian ministry for 35 years in numerous roles and ministries both in NZ and overseas. He shares the following thought-provoking message with us.
Scripture is full of examples of how those who trust in and look to God for His strength and sustenance for the doing of life, are as trees who have their roots sure and steadfastly anchored in His love. That because of this, we will not wilt, die or stop being fruitful for Him in times of drought and duress (Psalm 1:1-3 & Jeremiah 17:5-8). God has both challenged and encouraged me this morning, upon how deep my roots need to be in Him, for the hard times that are coming upon all of mankind.
I was not having a good start to my day, with my physical ailments getting me down, a mystery illness that I have sort Him upon many, many, times, daily in fact and have sort much prayer from others upon. To which He replies that His grace is sufficient to be my strength in this weakness. That where I am weak, there He is made strong within of it, on my behalf (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).
Yet I was not 'feeling' that today, no matter how hard I tried to press into His presence, there seemed to be no peace to be found. All I had in its place was the driving desire to get out of the house and to go down to the beach. Once there the tree in this image was in front of me and the still small voice began to speak...
That as a commercial horticulturist of 30+ years’ experience, I knew this tree had to have a very expansive, deep and healthy root system, to survive in this sandy soil and dry wind-swept environment. It was actually a testimony to this fact, as the next tree along from it had tortured, diseased limbs and half of its wood was dead. Jesus was telling me, that this tree was an example of how we all need to be digging deeper into Him and His word at this time.
That the 'drought' that is coming upon the land will be hard to survive, without the foundation of the habit of keeping short accounts with Him, throughout of the day. That if we do not take the opportunities that He is giving us at present to establish our roots in Him, that the time is fast approaching, that the opportunity to do so will have passed. When the hardships and pressures of trials, temptations and persecutions will press in upon all aspects of our lives, as a relentless tide.
His desire is to establish and ground us in His love (Ephesians 3:16-18 & John 15:10), so that we will not only endure the times ahead but be fruitful and multiply, while in the midst of them. That if we allow His foundation within our hearts, to be steadfast and sure, in the seeking of it, that no matter what lays ahead of us, we will be His lights shining brighter and brighter within of these dark times, until He does return (Proverbs 4:18).
For wherever you live within this world, there are hard times coming for all of those who profess Jesus Christ as Lord. But are we allowing Him to dig deep the wellsprings of our salvation, in the preparing for it? (Isaiah 12:2-4).
Blessings
Kerry Grant