Deeply Rooted

The lady who owned our home before us could only be described as a plant lady. When we first moved in, there were plants everywhere, and I mean absolutely everywhere. We loved the shade, beauty, and privacy that a lot of the plants provided, but some of them simply had to be moved and replanted. For example, right where we were planning to build our deck was what we later discovered to be an “Adam’s Needle,” or a yucca plant.

One Saturday afternoon my cousin came over, we grabbed our trowels and gardening gloves, and set out to replant the yucca plant. What we didn’t know, but soon learned the hard way, was that yucca plants have an insanely hardy root system to help them survive droughts. The root system of a mature yucca plant can grow up to five feet deep and five feet in diameter. Needless to say, our garden trowels turned out to be no match for the yucca roots.

What we thought would be an easy task on a sunny Saturday afternoon turned into an all-day ordeal. No matter how deep or wide we dug, no matter how much dirt we pulled away from the plant, the roots went on and on and on. They seemed to never end!

When it comes to my relationship with Christ, I strive to be like a yucca plant. I want to be so deeply rooted in Christ that people are taken aback! I want the trials and hardships of life to be no match for the insanely hardy root system that I’ve nourished with the Word of God. Paul encourages believers to do just this in Colossians 2:6-7:

"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness (NLT)."

When Jesus told the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, He noted that the plants that had no roots were scorched by the sun (v. 6). When we are not rooted in Christ, we are unable to face tribulation or persecution because we are trying to do it on our own strength.

However, the Lord promised in Jeremiah 17:7-8:

"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."

What an amazing God we serve! When we are rooted in the Lord, we do not need to fear or be anxious about what trials may arise, for He promises to sustain us through every drought and storm.

Pray with me:

Father God, we pray that we would be deeply rooted in You. Let our hearts, minds, and souls draw nourishment from time spent in Your presence and in Your Word. We pray that when trials and troubles arise, we will not fall away, but seek out and depend on You. Thank You for promising to sustain us and for promising that we are never alone.

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.