It has been many, many years ago since I heard the Lord speak to me about unshakable faith. Still, I remember it as if it were yesterday.
I was in my prayer room at our office. I had been praying and worshipping God when His words stopped me in my tracks. He asked, “Can I take you to a place where your faith is unshakable?”
As I heard those words, I stopped praying. To be honest, I was not happy. Everything was going good in my life at that moment, and I knew if God was asking this question, things in my life would likely become very shaky. I knew it in my spirit. Therefore, I didn’t answer quickly. Actually, it was hours later that I finally surrendered to where He wanted to take me.
As I imagined, everything in my life began to shake – things I thought were solid began to fall apart. It was not a quick season. It lasted many years.
Through it all, I kept trying to have this perfect, unshakable faith so I could get to the end of the season. It was only today that I realized something. It wasn’t a perfect faith I needed, it was simply deeper roots.
One of my favorite scriptures is found in Colossians 2 in the New Living version.
Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (v. 7-9)
I began to think about this scripture. I also began to think about the trees in coastal areas that not only survive but thrive throughout hurricane seasons. It is not their faith in God that causes them to stand firm, it is their deep roots. I am not saying we don’t need faith in God, of course we do. But, we also need deep roots. We MUST let our roots grow down deep into Him. When we do, we become unshakable. When we do, we can weather the storms, winds and torrential rains that may come our way.
It’s not the force of the wind that determines whether a tree can survive a storm. It’s not the size of the storm or even how long the storms last that determines the outcome of a tree. The only thing that determines the trees survival is the depth of its roots. It is the same with us.
What are our roots grounded in? How deep do they go?
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. (Jer 17:7-8)
I love how this version says it: But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers—Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.
This is what God wants for us. Calm in every season and bearing good fruit through it all. How do we get there? Deep roots. Notice, this person plants their roots by the river and spreads their roots by the water. Why? Because they know they need the Living Water which is Jesus Christ to become unshakable in storms and winds. They know when they are constantly washed in the water of the word, life won’t easily shake them.
My friend, don’t spend your time trying to obtain perfect faith in your own strength, instead, plant your roots deep into God and His word, in that, you and your faith will become unshakable. And that, is a great place to be.
