Solid Rock Church

L.I.F.E.LINES is dedicated to encouraging and equipping you

for a daily prayer and quiet time.  Please feel free to reply to us with

your comments and pass this along to your family and friends.

Visit our website at www.thesolidrockchurch.com for more information

about the ministry of Solid Rock Church.

Fattening Up

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Jeremiah 15:16

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.

My doctor told me that I have a problem; I'm too thin. So she ordered me to begin a 2,500 calorie per day diet. Perhaps many of you might say, "I'd love to have a problem like that!" Well, let me say, eating that many calories and being diabetic is not as easy as it may sound. It is quite a juggling act and involves careful tabulation and documentation of intake and amounts.

Here are some things I've discovered in this process: my diet is far better balanced and nutritious than ever before. I can't often get by with "cheating" on greasy, junky food - there is little wiggle room - and frankly that's good.

Where is all this going, you're doubtless wondering. What we feed on, morally, affects our spiritual health. It blesses me immensely that you are reading Lifelines, and I pray that it meets a need in your life. But you can't "fatten up" much just on Lifelines.

If you want to fatten up spiritually, you need to feed on God's word for yourself. Are you reading the Bible for yourself? Are you meditating on it, living out what it teaches you? I lovingly urge you to spend some time daily in the Bible, just you, God and His word. If you're not sure where to start, I recommend the Gospel of John. Then, let the word speak toyou, rather than you reading your own thoughts into it. See what happens. Let me know.

If you're already on a Bible study "regimen," praise the Lord. You're probably putting on a little spiritual fat. Stay with it as best you can. Share with another Christ follower some of the "nuggets" you encounter. Rejoice together in His word. But let's remember, just like in the physical, we need to eat some every day and chew it well, so it digests better.

Pray with me, please, the sentiments of Psalm 119:103:

Dear Lord, may I truly be able to say, How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Amen.

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L.I.F.E.LINES is dedicated to encouraging and equipping you

for a daily prayer and quiet time.  Please feel free to reply to us with

your comments and pass this along to your family and friends.

Visit our website at www.thesolidrockchurch.com for more information

about the ministry of Solid Rock Church.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Having Strong Roots

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Colossians 2:6-7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,

rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

 On our river bank there is a moderate sized cypress tree. We've watched it grow for years, and we’ve marveled at how it survived two devastating floods. Twelve years ago, when the tree was much smaller, we had a horrific flood. The river rose to a record height and was raging like we'd never seen it do before. We watched in dismay as two giant pecan trees succumbed to the force and were ripped out by the roots or snapped off.

In the meanwhile, the little cypress bent and bent, and then, as the waters engulfed it, it disappeared under the water. We thought we'd lost it too. But later, after the waters receded, there it was still standing. Amazing! Its roots were deep and its trunk was strong and supple.

What are your roots anchored in, dear friend. Life comes with its storms and trials, and we can find ourselves in deep waters. What keeps us from being swept away in despair? Oh, it is like our verse says, it's when we're rooted and built up in Christ. And, the more deeply we are rooted in Him, the stronger we are.

But notice a key phrase in verse six: "...you received Christ Jesus as Lord." When I make Jesus my Lord, my Master, the One who calls the shots, therein is my strength. That's the kind of relationship with Him that I need. He is then my strength and I am actively and purposefully surrendering my will to His. I wish I could say that always characterizes my life. I can say that it does more now than it used to.

How do I become more rooted and built up in Him? By cultivating that relationship with Him each day; by walking and talking with Him, by spending time in the Bible. The better I know Him, the more I trust Him, and the more I trust Him, the better I get to know Him. Yes, it works both ways. Thus, the roots grow deeper and deeper.

Father God, give this dear reader and me an increasing desire to be rooted and built up in our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.

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