Sunday, 11th January 2015
Rev. Daniel Poon
“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.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
The root of a tree is important for the tree as it absorbs all the nutritious and supply it to the whole tree. When the root dies, the tree will die. The fruit of a tree is also very important because it gives a purpose of the tree. A tree with no fruit will be worthless.
WHO?
Rev Daniel shared in verse 7 that those, who trust in the Lord and put confidence in Him, can take root below and bear fruit above. It takes time to take root deeply in whatever we are doing, and it requires perseverance to go through winds and rains, in order for the fruits to grow big and strong. Throughout the process, we need to always trust in God and know that everything happens in our lives for a purpose; as well as be confident that everything God has given to us is for our benefit!
WHEN?
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) When God says, we do it, not later, not tomorrow, but NOW! We should not let the past come back to disturb us and take our focus away from God. Present matters the most and we should always do what God wants us to do today!
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7)
HOW?
We should be rooted and built up in the Word of God. “Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.” (Psalm 1:2-3) The Bible tells us that we can find joy by obeying God’s Words, therefore we should be more attentive and listen to what God has to say. People’s words often put us down and confuse us, but only God’s Words are powerful and help us to be the sons and daughters of His heart!
We should also practice being under His authority, and produce fruits by faith, as it says in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, “For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good.” If we don’t take the first step to walk in faith, we will never see God’s miracles working in our lives!