Growing Deep Roots

This post was originally published on October 1, 2015

"'But 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.'"

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

Who doesn't want deep roots so we don't fall apart when facing hard times?  We all do, but how do we cultivate such an advantage?  Here's the answer as God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah.

Trust in God.  It's stamped on our money.  The phrase, "In God We Trust" first appeared on the two-cent coin in 1864 in response to an Act of Congress, followed by the passage of the Coinage Act in 1873 which opened up the way for all coins to bear such a proclamation.  This act was no mindless formality but an intentional attempt to acknowledge God as a nation in response to several letters from citizens across the land during the Civil War.  One such letter stated, in part, that "No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense."  And another claimed that "From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters." *  Our leaders at the time recognized the importance of trusting in God.

When I do the same, realizing He is the one Source of strength, power, wisdom, protection, and everything, I'm placing all my weight on Him, resting in His provision and shelter (Psalm 91).  When I think of Him as only one of many supplies, choosing to rely on my own wherewithal or that of others, I am failing to fully trust in God.  Either I place all my eggs in His basket, or I keep my options open in case another offer comes along.  The first shows that I believe He is able to satisfy every need and all my longings, while the second reveals my doubt in His power.

If I want roots that grow deeply, I must fully and wholly trust in God alone.

Hope in God.  It's easy to lose hope in such a dark world in which we reside.  I can become discouraged when trouble comes my way, especially when it seems there is no let up, as if it's my lot in life to suffer.  When enduring such difficulty, I can begin to wonder why I'm here, what is the point of life, what's my purpose.  Then I remember Who is in control of all things (Romans 13:1).

God is a good God (Psalm 136:1).  Everything He does is thoroughly and completely good.  Additionally, He is a God who is always at work (John 5:17).  He doesn't slack on the job, or forget someone's needs, letting them fall through the cracks.  Instead, He is constant and trustworthy.  Therefore, when I keep my eyes on Jesus, I have every hope in the world no matter my circumstances, because I know good things are happening.  The only missing factor, then, is my perception of His beneficial acts.  I often don't notice what He's up to because I'm looking in the wrong place.  It reminds me of a friend who just returned from a trip to New England.  She and her husband were disappointed to see the lack of fall colors but realized that if she looked closely, she could see a kaleidoscope of hues hidden beneath the green.  It only took an eye to see for her to enjoy the show.

If I want roots that grow deeply, I must hope in God, looking for all I believe He is doing.

Confidence in God.  It's easy to doubt.  It's not so much that I don't think God is up to the job, but that I think I will somehow mess things up, or that I see all that could go wrong, or that I've become cynical and jaded, preferring to brace myself for the worst instead of hoping for the best.  Then I waver in my faith, failing to walk forward in confidence with the strongly rooted certainty that God will come through no matter what.  I hold back, indecisive and vacillating between wanting to trust God and skepticism.

I notice a difference when I'm around someone who has confidence in God.  Their prayers are self-assured, as if they are simply endorsing what they believe God is at work doing.  They step out in faith often and speak with boldness, knowing that God is providing the words they need and fully backing them up.  In contrast, those with a lack of confidence result in prayers that are weak and reserved, as if they don't want to bother God or ask too much of Him.  They rarely if ever do anything beyond their own abilities or power and speak timidly, worried they may offend someone.  I'd rather live like the confident Christian.

If I want roots that grow deeply, I must place my confidence in God alone, not doubting in His might.

Life is difficult and I often face hardship.  If I want to learn to cope with the stresses of life, I would be wise to heed God's advice by resting fully in Him, expectantly looking for the work of His good hands, and walking forward with assurance that He's gone before me and has my back.  This is how to grow deep roots that will always reach His living waters.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to place all my weight on Him.

When do I hold back, afraid to let go of some semblance of control?

How do I doubt that God will come through?  

     

* http://www.treasury.gov/about/education/Pages/in-god-we-trust.aspx

See Him with Your Own Eyes

"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,

you will weep no more.

He will be gracious if you ask for help.

He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food

and suffering for drink,

he will still be with you to teach you.

You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

Your own ears will hear him.

right behind you a voice will say,

'This is the way you should go,'

whether to the right or to the left.

Then you will destroy all your silver idols

and your precious gold images.

You will throw them out like filthy rags,

saying to them, 'Good riddance!'"

Isaiah 30:19-22 NLT

Times are hard and I feel like I've hit a wall.  I don't know which way to turn, how to get out of the mess I'm in, where to go to find relief.  I've given my heart to Jesus but I'm drifting away, building on a different foundation and my living sacrifice has fallen off His altar (Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 12:1) Yet I want to hear God.  To know His plan for me. Perceive His direction.  Is it possible?  How?

Adversity.  He goes after the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7).  The ones who belong to Him yet stray away.  The precious lambs of His fold who wander away in search of the elusive something that will never satisfy.  Yet it often feels like the pain He introduces is in vain, to cause me to suffer, to punish me in some way.  The heart of God, however, tells a different story.  He uses adversity as a tool to guide me back to Him, to push me to where I'm aware of my need for Him, to cause me to hit bottom where I've run out of options and come to the end of myself.

Once I'm in the depths of suffering, I cry out to Him for help and find Him by my side, responding to my pleas, compassionately comforting me as only He can (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).  But there's more.  He doesn't leave me where I am, in the state of my choosing, captive to my own sinful flesh.  No, He loves me enough to push me, to shape me into the image of His Son, to use the hardship to teach me hard lessons (Romans 8:28-29).  As He guides He is like a tutor, walking with me one-on-one through the difficulty, not wanting me to miss a precious nugget of wisdom found there.  I find His presence comforting yet challenging, and I grow in my faith as a result.  My bond with Him is closer than ever.

I see God with my own eyes in the midst of adversity.

In Him.  The temple rose in all it's glory on a hilltop in Jerusalem, a symbol of God's presence among His people.  For those who dwelled there, it served as a constant reminder of His loving care for them, of His righteous holiness, of His plan for them as a people.  Today, to dwell in Jerusalem is to abide in Jesus, to stay connected to Him as the Source of life itself (John 15:5).

When I do so, clinging to Him as if my life depended upon Him, I find He is gracious to me, generously responding when I ask for help, extending grace and mercy that I need and heaping on wisdom when I'm at a loss (Hebrews 4:16, James 1:5).  I then find fruit growing that I did not expect, transformation taking place in my heart and a newness of spirit welling up within.  I can't take credit for it's all a work of His hand, as a result of leaning on Him as my everything.  I hardly recognize myself.

I see God at work within me when I abide in Him.

Repent.  It suddenly repulses me, this part of my flesh that once seemed so comfortable and familiar, like a cuddly blanket.  Now it seems more like an enemy, a weapon used to hurt the God I love.  I can't stand it anymore, I must purge these passions and desires from my life, turning from them and nailing them to the cross where they die (Galatians 5:24).  

When I am sensitive to all that offends God, responding when He convicts me of the sin that comes so naturally or gently rebukes me for how my thinking, my habits, or my ways are off, I waste no time in getting rid of what hampers my bond with Him.  It is my desire to always maintain intimacy with the One who made me for Himself and there is nothing that is so vital that I would not give it up out of respect and reverence for Him, treasuring this sacred relationship, my most valuable possession (Philippians 3:8).  As I turn away from the harmful sin, I see Him more clearly, hearing Him vividly.

I see God more clearly when I repent of the sin He roots out of my flesh (Psalm 139:24).

I want to experience God personally, knowing Him as a daughter knows a loving father.  How can I reach such depths of intimacy as I grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  I will see Him with my own eyes when I experience the adversity He introduces into my life as a tool of sanctification, stay in Him as my source of life, and repent of that which offends Him.  In these ways my vision will be restored so I can see Him as He is, not as I've created Him to be.  What a glorious vision!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to let go of that which offends Him.

When do I assume I'm free from sin based on what Jesus has done for me (1 John 1:8)?

What sin am I suddenly aware of, as if I've been given new eyes with which to see?