Roots
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.
(Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV)
Hardly anyone pays attention to the roots of a tree. They’re hidden underground, out of sight and out of mind. When they do break the surface, they are not considered particularly attractive.
The top of the tree, the part visible to the world, is what catches the eye—thick green foliage, sometimes beautiful blossoms—but the roots we ignore and undervalue. Without those strong roots, however, the tree cannot grow, cannot blossom, and cannot provide shade or a home for the birds. If it puts down puny roots, the first storm that comes its way will take it down. And this is a perfect analogy for our Christian lives.
Jesus warned that the house built on sand would be washed away, that the seed scattered on hard ground would not take, and that the Christian without strong roots would fall.
Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away (Mark 4:5-6 NKJV).
But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away (Luke 8:13 NKJV).
These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble (Mark 4:16-17 NKJV).
But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away (Matthew 13:6 NKJV).
When trials come, and they will, if we are not firmly rooted in His Word, we will fall over like the shallow-rooted tree. Having strong roots doesn’t mean we won’t struggle and stumble or question and cry. It means that underneath it all will be the firm, unshakeable assurance that God has us in His Hand, that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and that He will bring us through because His Word is underpinning us.
As you therefore have 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 (Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV).
