Ready the Ground 10

Romans 15:12-13

This past summer we learned about bamboo. Bamboo is a type of grass that grows very quickly. If planted in the ground bamboo can flourish and grow quite tall and become very dense. If not held back bamboo can overtake almost all the other plants around it.

We have been looking at the parable of the sower that Jesus taught. It focuses on the types of soil that might represent how we feel at different times. Sometimes we have a hard heart, a heart that has been trampled under foot by others. When we are like that the seed of God’s love cannot thrive inside us.

Other times life has problems we must confront. We may have shallow faith, and again God’s love cannot take root. Other times the worries of life crowd out God’s love and we lose our spiritual focus.

But God wants us to have hearts that are receptive and open to the love He gives so freely. He wants our faith to grow deep within us. He wants His love to fill us up. The love of God should be given the opportunity to grow as fast and strong and thick as bamboo can grow when it is given an opportunity.

Paul makes reference to Isaiah in his letter to the Romans. Who is the “Root of Jesse” Isaiah speaks of? What does Paul desire for the believers?

The Root of Jesse is a reference to Jesus Christ. Jesse was the father of David, and David was the great ancestor of Jesus. When Isaiah makes reference to the Root of Jesse he is talking about Jesus Christ as Savior to the nations.

We must make our hearts and souls the good soil that will allow the love of God to take root. When we accept Christ as Savior, when we accept he love of God that He pours out so generously, then we are allowing the Root of Jesse – the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God’s extravagant love – to take root and grow within us.

When we allow Christ to live in us, when we allow God’s love to grow and fill us, then that love – incredible and powerful – can not only sustain us, but it will overflow from us. We will be able to be strong in our faith and confident in our Lord. And we will be able to show God’s love to everyone around us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you open your heart to Jesus?