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When we take our focus away from everything else and consider the Sovereign Lord, the one true, living God. When we “wait upon the Lord” by patiently trusting in Him and keeping our covenants, He blesses us with His divine help. In His strength we are lifted up so that we can receive “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.

But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]

Will gain new strength and renew their power;

They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];

They will run and not become weary,

They will walk and not grow tired. (Isaiah 40:31) We need the Spirit of God to empower us and we need to let Christ live at home in our hearts. We need His personal presence in our lives.

To be grounded and rooted in love prepares us to know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge. Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

How we be rooted in God's love is to

grow in wisdom and spiritual understanding as you study the word of God.

Pray and ask the holy spirit to open your spiritual eyes to the truth of the gospel as you read the scriptures.

Abide daily in the word and prayer.

May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love. (Ephesians 3:16-17)

We receive God's love and respond back with the love we have been given. Love is to flow from God to us and out to others. It begins by receiving love from God and seeing ourselves through the lens of His love for us. We then can love even an “unlovable” neighbor as ourselves. Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-20) Ephesians 5:20 urges us to develop an inner perspective of gratitude, to live each moment with an awareness of the blessings we have from God and our debt to him. Everyone is to live in a spirit of humbleness and care for each other. Each Christian is to respect the other person. Jesus summarized this by the phrase "love one another."

Dear Father in heaven, accept our thanks today for all you allow us to learn and to receive from you. Help us, your children, to follow the Savior with a right spirit and with true understanding. Protect us from evil, from all the works of Satan. SPEAK WITH AUTHENTICITY, ACT WITH INTEGRITY; THINK WITH GRATITUDE.

If we can find a way not to give into the temptation to abandon the faith, to act unethically, or to despair, then we will find God with us the whole time. If we learn to control our tongues—meaning the words we say—we could control what we do with our entire bodies. The one who controls a bit controls the entire horse. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing. (James 1:3-4)

Cast your burden on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail) (Psalm 55:22)