“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:3.
Trees are very interesting. They come in all sizes, shapes and colours. Is it any wonder that the Psalmist compared us to a tree?
In recent months in our church at least, we have had many messages preached about how we needed to be close to the Lord so that we could stand strong when storms came. I remember our Pastor saying several times that if we were not facing a situation at that time, rest assured that that there would be something in our future to test us.
Now we are facing a situation where we cannot get together to worship, fellowship with other believers, and soak in the Word of God, as our pastor ministers to us. If we have been relying solely on the Sunday services and the week-night Bible studies to keep us close to God, that is no longer an option. So perhaps we will find out what kind of a tree we are, and how deep our roots grow.
I found some interesting facts about trees and their roots, which can be a parallel to our walk with the Lord
• In ideal soil and moisture conditions, roots can grow to more than 20 feet deep. Studies have shown that the depth of roots of some trees are equal to the height of the tree.
• Trees in the forest have roots reaching well beyond their individual branches. Roots grow laterally to a distance equal to the height of the tree structure.
• Trees standing together in a forest send roots beyond their individual limbs and intermingle with the roots of neighbouring trees.
• Most new root growth occurs at the end of existing roots.
• As soil temperature moves closer to 36°, roots grow less. Then, once it’s freezing, growth pauses and resumes as soil warms.
Let’s look at these from the spiritual viewpoint:
• We have had many years of great Bible teaching and times of worship, so that our roots have gone deep into the soil of God’s Word, and we stand tall before the Lord.
• God has blessed us, and we have reached out to others sharing what we have learned.
• Our lives have intermingled with the brothers and sisters in the church, and have reached out to people who were searching for the Lord.
• We have grown little by little, adding new knowledge of God to our first experiences.
• Church attendance has been like the warm season, but now that is no longer available to us, so do we find ourselves in a cold season? No, we find new ways to worship together. In this new season we do not stop growing. We spend time reading our Bibles, praying, and watching sermons on social media. Although we cannot leave our homes, we can talk to people in other ways. Let’s send our roots deeper each day and continue to grow strong as individuals and as the Church.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for the blessings we have enjoyed through the years, and for the privilege we have had to worship together. Thank you, Lord that you are still with us even when we can’t be together. Help us to continue to send our roots down deep in your Word.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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