The view of our Christian faith is enriched by figures of speech. The Apostle Paul mastered metaphor and similes. In Colossians 2.6-7 he wrote, "...just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him..." and again in Ephesians 3.17 when Paul prayed for believers (including us) that we would be "rooted and established in love." Being rooted and established in our faith is a beautiful picture, for a tree, when rooted and established, is strong, healthy and able to withstand the storm driven winds. A tree with deep roots is near nutrients and water. The Christian whose roots of faith are deep has found the secret of growing strong, healthy and able to withstand the storms of life. Each of us have the option where to sink our roots. But Psalm 1 reminds us that God wants us to sink our roots near the stream of God. The more we mediate on His Word and put it into practice, the deeper our roots will grow and the more stable we'll be as we encounter difficult times. The time to grow roots is before the storms come. If we're shallow in our faith, we'll get blown over when the storms come. But if we have taken time to daily nurture our relationship with God, then even when the storms come, we will remain strong, for our roots run deep and near dependence upon God is sure. Are you firmly rooted and established in the faith? Are you near the streams of God? If so, you will remain strong in the Lord and able to stand even when storms come. Isaiah 7.9 says, "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." May you grow deep roots of faith, trusting in God's promises and standing in His grace. Blessings, Pastor Pete

I watched with fascination the two climbers making their way up Half Dome. What was unique to their climb is that they did not use any tools to enable them to climb. They did it freestyle, placing fingers and toes on ledges no wider than a dime. They wisely used a safety rope which was tested multiple times as they fell. If not for the rope, they would have fallen to a certain death. God has a way of directing each of us in our life stories. Most of us will never attempt to climb Half Dome, but sometimes God leads us over mountains. When God does, He also promises to help us over it. 2 Samuel 22.34 says, “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” Sometimes God leads us to go around the mountain, and at other times, God removes the mountain altogether. In each instance, we are to go where He leads and listen for His tender voice, knowing that He will keep us safe regardless of the route. Our tendency will be to fear. But God says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41.10) When we face any challenge of life, whatever the degree or height, God is our safety rope. He only needs one hand to uphold us. The way we know that God will uphold us is when we fall. We may fall a little and even get shaken up. But when we are dangling in the arms of Jesus rather than laying on the rocks below, then we know without a doubt that Jesus is our safety rope and He will keep us safe. Notice the number of times that God uses the word “I” in Isaiah 41.10. “I am with you…I am your God…I will strengthen you and help you…I will uphold you…” Whatever you may be facing today, no matter how impossible it may seem to you, God invites us to put our trust in Him and allow Him to hold us up. God does this for us as we make our way up and over the circumstance of life. We climb by faith, believing that God has us in His sight with steady hands ready to keep us safe. Lord, thank you for being our safety rope, for taking care of us by upholding us, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Since we know that You can hold us up, we entrust our very lives to You, knowing that You will do whatever it takes to accomplish Your perfect will in each of us. Amen.