
I look back fondly on one of our earliest ministry appointments. During the journey to our new home, I felt shaken and unsteady. It was far from anything we had ever known. Financially, it was going to be a sacrifice. As I waved farewell to the familiar, the uncertainty was overwhelming, and I found myself wrestling with fear and doubt. Amid those unsettling moments, I had a beautiful childhood memory that embraced me like a warm blanket. I heard my mother singing as I stood beside her: “I shall not be moved, like a tree planted by the water.” The lyrics echoed in my heart, reminding me that like a tree deeply rooted by the water, I could stand firm despite the storms that might come.
We see this powerful truth in 1 Corinthians 15:58, where Paul challenges us: “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (NLT).
Paul’s charge first commands us to prepare ourselves to stand—to strengthen ourselves and to get our footing in the Faithful One. When we are ready, we will then respond with trust and not with trepidation. When we are BEAUTIFULLY rooted, we will stand faithful, regardless of circumstance. We are attached to a ROOT source that will empower and equip us for every good work, even in the darkest times. How do we stand faithful and firm in those difficult times? Let’s look at Psalm 107:1-9. There are some powerful action steps in these verses to keep us beautifully rooted in FAITHFULNESS.
1Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; 5hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. 8Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 9For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. - Psalm 107:1-9 (ESV)
Psalm 107 is a poignant account of a nation seemingly cemented in a quagmire of distress and desolation. While it’s human nature to lament the trials of life, God reminds us in Psalm 107 to reframe our reality and remain faithful because we are ATTACHED to the ONE who is ever faithful! It's interesting that within these verses, only two (verses 4 and 5) paint a bleak portrait of hopelessness and resignation. All the others testify to God’s deliverance! So, what can we do when we face a silent struggle of hopelessness, a physical or emotional attack, or a struggle with our children or family members? Consider these four directives in Psalm 107 to reframe your reality through the lens of God’s faithfulness to stay beautifully rooted:
REHEARSE God’s Blessings (v. 1) – We must turn our attention to the goodness of God and remind ourselves that He is the God of yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Even when situations change, His character and love for us is ever constant.
REMAIN in our Faith (v.2) – Remember that we are redeemed; we must remind ourselves as often as we can! When we remain, we persist, we endure, and we wait on the ONE in whom our faith is ROOTED.
REDIRECT our Attention (v. 6) – Verse 5 describes a group of people who were “hungry and thirsty” to the point their “[souls] fainted within them.” But something changes. Verse 6 begins with the word “then!” In the middle of famine and fatigue, they shifted their focus to faith by redirecting their attention to their Deliverer, the one in whom their FAITH had a direct, supernatural connection. In other words, they were a beautifully rooted people!
Finally, REST in God’s Provision (v. 9) – Regardless of our difficulty, we can choose to trust, in unabandoned surrender, a God who will sustain us. Trusting is how we remain FAITHFUL because we are beautifully rooted to the ONE who is always FAITHFUL to us!
When we are beautifully rooted, we can live 1 Corinthians 15:58 with authority—strong and immovable. In our seasons of desolation, in our seasons of trepidation, in our seasons of affliction, we can stand firm! God promises to RE-AFFIRM us when He is REFINING us in the face of pressure. We can stay beautifully planted even in the darkness of the process. That’s where the ROOT, our Jesus, does His best work in us! In the difficulties of life, we may bend, but we will NOT break because WE are beautifully rooted!
Cathy Yaun has ministered alongside her husband, Brian, for 34 years as youth pastors, lead pastors, and in state leadership in Arizona, Kentucky, and Tennessee. She currently serves alongside him in International Youth and Discipleship, as the International Girls Ministries Coordinator for the Church of God worldwide. Cathy and Brian are blessed with two sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and four amazing grandchildren. A longtime educator, Cathy is called to minister to students and leaders through Girls Ministries, as an English teacher, and in her current role at Lee University as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Liaison to Church of God Enrollment. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Lee University (Lee College), a Master of Arts in Education from Georgetown College, and is currently working on her Ed.D. dissertation in Higher Education Leadership at Concordia University - Chicago. As a speaker, Cathy shares Christ’s desire to break the bondages of insecurity, fear, and doubt that plague many people today. Above all, she conveys the message of salvation and hope to the lost and God’s divine plan for every believer to live with purpose and make disciples.
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