Trees are beautiful, aren’t they? From a snow-covered forest to a flowering fruit tree, they can bring immense pleasure to the heart. Have you ever heard a breeze blow through a grove of quaking aspens? It is an incredible sound.
In Colorado, we are blessed with massive groves of aspens, called a pando. Such a grove of aspens is actually a single organism, with the primary life force lying in the extensive underground root system.
“Before a single aspen trunk appears above the surface, the root system can lie dormant for years until the conditions are just right, including sufficient sunlight,” and water. Like all trees, indeed, all plants —aspens need a consistent supply of water to grow and bloom.
Have you ever seen a tree that doesn’t get watered? Over a short time, you can watch it decline and weaken. Its leaves dry and turn brown and the trunk soon loses its color. The bark, if there is any, starts to peel, and soon the leaves are falling or blowing away with the slightest breeze.
Unseen, the roots are doing the same as the branches as they dry and lose their grip within the soil. The entire tree then quickly dries up and withers — and the tree dies and is lost.
A sad sight indeed. And you can look at most trees and know when the water supply is not sufficient to grow to their full size and beauty.
Such a need is not much different for us humans.
In This Life We Will Have Trouble
Life is not easy. Life can be a real challenge, and as time passes, it’s not getting any easier. The bumps in the road are inevitable. A scary diagnosis. A lost job. A divorce. The death of a loved one. It is easy to feel lost. Each and every day, life can seem like a struggle. Like we are fighting forces beyond our control.
Jesus confirmed a life of struggle in this world: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33).
This begs the question then — what is the solution? How do we fill that need that will lead us to grow and blossom — like water for the trees? What is our source of water? What is the ingredient that will prevent us from drying up and withering away — and dying?
Well, in the same verse, Jesus gave us the answer. Himself.
“…but take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Simple Belief Is Not Enough
In his epistle to Jewish believers, James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the church at the time, makes it quite clear that simple belief is not enough to bring us the peace we and joy we seek: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19).
Just saying we believe in God and in Jesus Christ, is not enough — not even close to enough. Our faith must be reflected in our lives. David tells us as much in the Book of Psalms:
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:3).
And then Jeremiah says the same:
They will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).
Jesus confirmed it: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
Clearly then, it is up to us to sink our own roots deep into a relationship with Christ, and then to water and enrich those roots so we grow and blossom in the Lord.
Watering the Roots
When Jesus said to “take up our cross daily and follow him” (Luke 9:23) — he meant, it is ours to make the effort to die to ourselves and take time from our busy lives to pay attention to our relationship.
Just as an ember separated from the fire will soon smolder and go out, so will we if we don’t take care to water our roots.
Maybe if we try a few baby steps. Maybe trying one small bit at a time.
1. The Word. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). I have read many times that we should work to memorize Scripture. Although I’m no theologian or pastor, I must beg to differ.
Memorization does not mean we understand or grasp that which we memorize. Just as roots must absorb water, so must we absorb God’s Word into our hearts and live it out.
Try reading one chapter of the gospels each and every day. One chapter. In a year, you’ll have read all of the gospels four times.
2. Prayer. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Our prayers are a way to grow closer to the Lord, and not simply reserved for when we are in trouble or need to ask for something. How we pray is not as important as that we pray.
The strength of the prayer is not in our words — but in the One who hears us. Something as simple as a “thank you, Father.”
Don’t have time? Make time. While waiting in traffic, waiting in line, or anywhere else. Give up 20 minutes of TV, Facebook, or TikTok.
It will be worth it.
3. Live it. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Yes, the pandemic has put a crimp in our church habits. We have gotten out of the habit. But that doesn’t mean we can’t meet with other, fellow believers on a regular basis.
Make the effort. Talk about your faith. Try to work together on how you can step out and help others.
Beyond the busyness of life; beyond our careers; beyond our finances; beyond our “stuff;” and yes, even beyond our families — it all starts with growing and staying close to the Lord.
With that as our foundation, all the rest will fall into place. All of the rest will grow and blossom beyond what we could have thought possible.
And with that, when the rain comes, and the stream rises, and the winds blow and beats against our house — we will not fall. We will bear beautiful fruit, and all we do will prosper.
For further reading:
Are We Grounded with Good Roots?
What Is the Parable of the Sower?
How Is ‘Every Hour I Need Thee’ True?
What Does the Bible Say about Growing Good Seeds?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Givaga
