Supporting Root

Scripture: 16 Since Abraham and the patriarchs are consecrated and set apart for God, so also will their descendants be set apart. If the roots of a tree are holy and set apart for God, so too will be the branches. 17 However, some of the branches have been pruned away. And you, who were once nothing more than a wild olive branch in the desert, God has grafted in—inserting you among the remaining branches as a joint partner to share in the wonderful richness of the cultivated olive stem. 18 So don’t be so arrogant as to believe that you are superior to the natural branches. There’s no reason to boast, for the new branches don’t support the root, but you owe your life to the root that supports you! 19 You might begin to think that some branches were pruned or broken off just to make room for you. 20 Yes, that’s true. They were removed because of their unbelief. But remember this: you are only attached by your faith. So don’t be presumptuous, but stand in awe and reverence. 21 Since God didn’t spare the natural branches that fell into unbelief, perhaps he won’t spare you either! 22 So fix your gaze on the simultaneous kindness and strict justice of God. How severely he treated those who fell into unbelief! Yet how tender and kind is his relationship with you. So keep on trusting in his kindness; otherwise, you will also be cut off. 23 God is more than ready to graft back in the natural branches when they turn from clinging to their unbelief to embracing faith. 24 For if God grafted you in, even though you were taken from what is by nature a wild olive tree, how much more can he reconnect the natural branches by inserting them back into their own cultivated olive tree! (Romans 11:16-24 The Passion) We need to always remember where our strength to live a life of faith comes from; it comes from the supporting root. We will never be the root. We were by God’s kindness grafted onto a cultivated tree. We need to be careful to never forget that it is by faith and not by something we have done that we have been grafted onto the tree with the supporting root. Father, thank You for Your amazing kindness that allows me to be one of the grafted on branches. You are so good and I love You. AMEN My God, give me the grace to guard my lips from speaking what is wrong. Continue to guide me away from temptation and doing what is wrong. Please listen to this prayer of mine. Psalm 141
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