April 29th, 2025
This week, I want to share some thoughts with you on the importance of deep roots in God. We must be established in Him, if we are to stand strong in the face of change or adversity. God uses the metaphor of being deeply rooted in Him throughout the Bible.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says,
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Psalm 1:1-3 says,
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
In these verses, we see the importance of where we’re planted. When we place our trust in the Lord and delight in His Word, we are planted in good soil! Jesus, when conversing with a Samaritan woman by a well said,
“Everyone who drinks of this (natural) water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(John 4:13-14)
The water of life is found only in Jesus. There is no other stream! He is the Word of God, made flesh and when we plant ourselves in Him, we will never thirst again. We won’t fear the drought Jeremiah talks about, because we have a spring of living water in our hearts. We can’t grow dry or cease to bear fruit based on our surroundings or circumstances if we’re drinking from the spring that lives in us!
When we’re saved, we are planted in Jesus, grafted into the deepest root there is. Look at three verses that talk about Jesus being the root:
Isaiah 11:10 says,
“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious.”
Revelation 22:16 says,
“I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Romans 15:12 says,
“The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles, in Him will the Gentiles hope.”
We are grafted into the family of God by being rooted in Jesus. You may not have ever thought of yourself as a plant, but it’s a comparison God uses throughout the Bible and one Jesus made often. One of His more famous parables is about a farmer sowing seed. In the story, a man sowed seed on four different types of soil, one of which relates to what we’re talking about today.
Matthew 13:6 says of seed sown on rocky ground, “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.”
Jesus explained what He meant by this in Matthew 13:20-21:
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
These seeds planted on rocky ground are the opposite of the tree mentioned in Jeremiah and Psalms. Rather than being planted by streams of living water and having roots that are deep and established, these seeds spring up quickly and eagerly, but without depth. They look healthy and strong, until there is adversity – until there is heat and drought. The process of growing roots is something that takes time and happens when no one can see. This is character development with God, behind closed doors. Very often, the process of growing roots is without accolades or celebration. This is not the growth and fruit that others will see and enjoy. However, without roots, your fruit will be short-lived and only produced when the conditions are right – when you’re comfortable and it’s easy. In order to bear fruit in all seasons, we must take the time to grow roots!
Colossians 2:6 says,
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith…”
When you give your life to Jesus, He plants you in good soil, but it’s there you have to put down roots, grow, and thrive! Paul prayed this way:
“…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge….” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Psalm 92:12-15 says,
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green,”
The will of God for you is to be so rooted and grounded in His love, by faith, that nothing would move you. You cannot wither if you’re grounded in His love. Deep roots make us stable, and they only come through time in God’s presence and His word, receiving correction and building character. When you’re grounded in Him, it doesn’t matter if there’s drought and scorching sun. It doesn’t matter if the wind blows and storms come. When you’re anchored in the truth of His Word and the power of His love, you will be like the tree planted by streams of water. Your steps will be sure. Even in difficulty, your leaves will be as green, and you will bear fruit! We encourage you this week to allow your roots to grow deeply in the truth of God’s word and in the love that He has for you. His love for you is beyond comprehension and only in Him will you be unshakeable. Let your roots grow deeper today in the One who is Himself the life. He is the sure foundation, the root of Jesse, and there is no other foundation!
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says,
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Psalm 1:1-3 says,
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
In these verses, we see the importance of where we’re planted. When we place our trust in the Lord and delight in His Word, we are planted in good soil! Jesus, when conversing with a Samaritan woman by a well said,
“Everyone who drinks of this (natural) water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(John 4:13-14)
The water of life is found only in Jesus. There is no other stream! He is the Word of God, made flesh and when we plant ourselves in Him, we will never thirst again. We won’t fear the drought Jeremiah talks about, because we have a spring of living water in our hearts. We can’t grow dry or cease to bear fruit based on our surroundings or circumstances if we’re drinking from the spring that lives in us!
When we’re saved, we are planted in Jesus, grafted into the deepest root there is. Look at three verses that talk about Jesus being the root:
Isaiah 11:10 says,
“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious.”
Revelation 22:16 says,
“I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Romans 15:12 says,
“The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles, in Him will the Gentiles hope.”
We are grafted into the family of God by being rooted in Jesus. You may not have ever thought of yourself as a plant, but it’s a comparison God uses throughout the Bible and one Jesus made often. One of His more famous parables is about a farmer sowing seed. In the story, a man sowed seed on four different types of soil, one of which relates to what we’re talking about today.
Matthew 13:6 says of seed sown on rocky ground, “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.”
Jesus explained what He meant by this in Matthew 13:20-21:
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
These seeds planted on rocky ground are the opposite of the tree mentioned in Jeremiah and Psalms. Rather than being planted by streams of living water and having roots that are deep and established, these seeds spring up quickly and eagerly, but without depth. They look healthy and strong, until there is adversity – until there is heat and drought. The process of growing roots is something that takes time and happens when no one can see. This is character development with God, behind closed doors. Very often, the process of growing roots is without accolades or celebration. This is not the growth and fruit that others will see and enjoy. However, without roots, your fruit will be short-lived and only produced when the conditions are right – when you’re comfortable and it’s easy. In order to bear fruit in all seasons, we must take the time to grow roots!
Colossians 2:6 says,
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith…”
When you give your life to Jesus, He plants you in good soil, but it’s there you have to put down roots, grow, and thrive! Paul prayed this way:
“…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge….” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Psalm 92:12-15 says,
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green,”
The will of God for you is to be so rooted and grounded in His love, by faith, that nothing would move you. You cannot wither if you’re grounded in His love. Deep roots make us stable, and they only come through time in God’s presence and His word, receiving correction and building character. When you’re grounded in Him, it doesn’t matter if there’s drought and scorching sun. It doesn’t matter if the wind blows and storms come. When you’re anchored in the truth of His Word and the power of His love, you will be like the tree planted by streams of water. Your steps will be sure. Even in difficulty, your leaves will be as green, and you will bear fruit! We encourage you this week to allow your roots to grow deeply in the truth of God’s word and in the love that He has for you. His love for you is beyond comprehension and only in Him will you be unshakeable. Let your roots grow deeper today in the One who is Himself the life. He is the sure foundation, the root of Jesse, and there is no other foundation!
No Comments