Deeper Roots

 

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. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. (Psalm 1:1-4 ESV).

 

You may remember a devotional I did several years ago detailing the characteristics of one of the more common trees in the arid regions of Texas. We have several on our property as well as the surrounding area. It is the Mesquite. The wood itself is great for its flavorful smoke when used to barbeque, although I like it for the beauty of the grain and color of the wood when used for various projects. It is also a very tight grained wood that burns very hot and thus makes for a very effective wood generating high heat in a fire pit or fireplace. Perhaps one of things you may not know is the depth of their roots. It has been documented with roots of over 150 feet. One particular tree that some say may be the oldest Mesquite in the southwest region may have a tap root diving to over 300 feet. It is at this level that it hits the water table allowing it to thrive while other trees suffer in the typical dought conditions of the area.

 

God often grows our faith amid crises. Through the crises of life he can help us see his direction through the fog. As we grow in directional faith, we begin to discover how abundantly God wants to bless us. Eventually we begin to suspect that we often ask not too much of God, but too little. Our reading demonstrates this idea using the image of a tree flourishing by streams of water. What a great illustration God provides for us in the tap root of the Mesquite.

 

When everything else begins to fad because of the lack of rain, this tree continues to thrive. It has tapped into the underground water supply. Our reading today assures us that God wants to sustain us in a way like that, if we will only let him. We can call this sustaining faith, and it’s here that we really begin to see God’s hand in our lives. You can grow your roots deeper by simply taking a little time each day and reading the Scripture. Exercise your faith to trust the provision of God. Even when it seems light a record drought, God wants to connect us to the deep waters that never fail to flow.