January 13, 2019 - Inscriptions From The Heart

January 13, 2019
Pastor Immanuel Garcera

DEEPLY ROOTED IN CHRIST

What kind of fruits does my life bear? If I were to archive all that my efforts amounted to, with what I did during the week, what I accomplished – what kind of person would I be seen as? Would I be seen as an artist, a parent, a great employee, a pastor, hopefully – a Christ follower? These were just some of the questions I was asking myself and reflecting on as Pastor String was preaching his sermon last Sunday regarding being deeply rooted in Christ.

It can be difficult to do self-reflection because at times, you will have to face what you’ve become. When Elion was born and I had to carry this eight-pound baby around I realized I was not in the best of shape. I’ve grown weak. I’ve neglected my health, and over-indulged without much self-control on what I ate. But seeing my new born baby, I knew I needed to be a good and healthy father for him. And so, I took a good look at myself (something I haven’t done for a while) and braced myself for what needed to be done. It can be very difficult to tackle something that you’ve neglected and ignored time and time again, and sometimes, if not most times, it’s easier to just ignore the mess than to start cleaning. For me, it was my health, but for us Christians, especially when life gets busy, our spiritual walk gets neglected – we make compromises, give in little by little and before you know it, getting back to the “swing of things” is harder and just ignoring the problem is easier.

We all wish we could be better Christ followers, no one ever said, “Wow, I wish I would be a horrible Christian today.” When we fall off the wagon, getting back into the presence of God, to be in tune with Him once again, that can be the hardest start. I believe it starts with trusting the Lord. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

What results, when we trust in the Lord, when we are confident in him is that we will be sustained in the Lord when hard times come, and not only are we able to persevere, but our lives bear fruit that glorifies the Lord. Friends, when was the last time your faith was tested to fully relying and trusting in the Lord? So often times we place our confidence in ourselves, in our abilities, in the security our resources give, in the safety of conformity and comfort. Let us not forget that blessings await those who trust in the Lord and whose confidence resides in Him. If hard times are coming and you’d like to be ready or if you simply want to like to bear fruit – then trust in the Lord and place your confidence in Him and you will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11).

To God be the glory!