"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." (Col. 2:6-7)

Several years ago a man reported his observations of the effects of a hurricane on a southeastern Gulf Coast town. As he walked up and down the ravaged streets, he observed that the palm trees had been uprooted and flung about. Once tall and majestic, their root systems were too shallow to withstand the hurricane force winds. But, as he proceeded, he came to a lone oak tree. The leaves had been blown away and some of the smaller branches ripped off, but the roots had gone deep, and the tree held its position. And, in due season it would again produce leaves. (From 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, p. 120)

Likewise, if we are to endure in times of hardship, stress, and difficulty, we must be rooted and grounded in Christ. Through Him can we be victorious in all things.