Watch The Root

 When you think of the word root, several things may come to mind. First, you might think about a part of a plant that is attached to the ground. Next, you might think about the cause or source of something. At one time or another, you may have found yourself saying that you were going to get to the root of the problem. I know I have said this before! For those who really like math, you may have even thought of a number that can be multiplied by itself. Regardless of what context you are referring to root in, the root is something that has to be watched closely. Right now, I'm definitely thinking of the math example as math is not my strong subject. I'm better at math now, but I would still be double and triple checking my math for any possible errors😊!! Just like we would be checking, we have to watch the source of things. As God's children, we have to especially be careful about what we are letting in our space. We also have to be careful where we're getting our information from. You see, every source is not a reliable source. This is a life lesson I've learned. I know where I can find reliable information, and that's in God's Word 👏. The Bible says in Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever." When nothing else is reliable, I can stand on God's Word. God never changes, and I'm so glad 💖!! Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?" Not only do we have to check the source of something, we also have to be careful who and what we attach to. When a plant is deeply rooted in the right soil, it can grow and flourish as it should 💖. I was reading in my devotional time not long ago about a story Jesus told about a farmer who planted seeds found in Matthew 13. In the story, the seeds fall in different places. Many of the plants could not grow properly because of where the seed had fell. Verses 5 and 6 of that chapter in particular stood out to me. Those verses talk about the seed that fell on rocky ground, where there wasn't much soil. A plant sprung up, but the soil wasn't deep there. The plants' life was short-lived because the soil wasn't deep. That made me think! We could be rooted in something, but it either could be the wrong thing or not being rooted deep enough in the right thing. Whew 👏!! That could be mindsets and attitudes. That also means checking our associations and connections. Let's not be planted deep in gossip and bitterness. Let's make sure our connections are uplifting and not stunting our growth.  Let's make sure it is not putting us down or limiting all the amazing things God wants to do in our life. Make sure it is encouraging and allowing good fruit to be seen in our life 🙏. That good fruit is the fruit of the Spirit that is found in Galatians 5:22-23 in the Bible. Let's make sure we're rooted in the Word, so we can know what the fruit of the Spirit are. Being deep in God's Word is the best place to be. Living out the fruit of the Spirit will help us grow and flourish daily. So, let's stay planted in what's right. Check our sources. Stay alert. Keep watching the root of everything, and then grow on! Love and blessings to all 💖!!