Most trees don’t develop deep roots unless they have to.
If plants have frequent access to water in the first few feet of soil, the roots spread wide but not deep.
This is why so many trees are toppled in warm climates when hurricanes strike.
But there are a few tree varieties that never topple in the storms.
They might be stripped of leaves or even branches, but the trunk remains.
Why?
Because of deep roots.
The plant kingdom teaches us something else about deep roots.
They are the survival pipeline when droughts hit.
Plants without deep roots dry up and die.
How do deep-rooted plants avoid this outcome?
By having to keep reaching, reaching and reaching with roots until the sustaining water was found.
I have a garden and I have trained my plants to not require watering every day.
Why? Because some days I am just not around to do it and I don’t want them to die as a result.
Listen, we need deep roots of faith because we experience emotional or financial and physical wellness droughts.
Sometimes we’re in a spiritual drought where it seems that blessings are rare and burdens are many.
At such times, our roots can grow deeper through prayer, through Bible study, through worship and through conversation with other believers as we seek after the everflowing Living Water of God’s Truth.
We will feel parched at times. But we will find the purpose of the parching — to deepen our roots in preparation for a more godly life.
We will be on our way toward becoming oaks of righteousness rather than swaying reeds of comfort and convenience.
Here’s the verse from today’s reading in the One-Year Bible that prompted this message:
“The godly have deep roots.” (Proverbs 12:3)
No matter what storms might batter and strip our branches, no matter what droughts shrivel our leaves, let’s remain alive and standing firm because we’ve sent our spiritual roots deep into God’s heart through prayer, worship, study and Christian fellowship.
It’s what godly people do.
As always, I love you
Martin
