Good morning, dear sisters in Jesus! How are you? I pray well. The hymn, How Firm a Foundation, was running through my mind as I read Proverbs 12. Read along, sing along, and celebrate that though all hell should endeavor to shake, He will never, no never, no never forsake! We cannot be uprooted when our souls are anchored to Jesus and His excellent Word!
Let’s turn to Proverbs chapter 12 together so we can get wisdom that goes beyond the gold!
HEALTHY ROOTS
A man (woman) cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
Proverbs 12:3
The health of a tree is dependent on its root system. Healthy roots equate healthy trees. Diseased and severely injured roots often result in the tree needing to be removed.
The church is God’s field (1 Corinthians 3:9) and the health of the church is dependent on its root system. As Jesus sows the seed of His Word into the hearts of people, the enemy is at work attacking the roots. The evil one comes and snatches away what was sown. Life gets hard; persecution comes; hearts are uprooted. Worry and anxiety trigger disease within the root system. The deceitfulness of wealth injures the roots and makes it unfruitful (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-22).
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man (woman) who hears the word and understands it. He (She) produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown (Matthew 13:23). When the seed is rooted in the firm foundation of God’s excellent Word, the righteous cannot be uprooted (Proverbs 12:3b)! Their house will stand firm (Proverbs 12:7b) and their roots will flourish (Proverbs 12:12b).
How strong is your root system? How healthy is mine? Things may look good from the topsoil up – faithful in church attendance, active in GEMS and other ministries, quick to volunteer and to tell people that we’ll pray for them, but what about our roots? Just because things currently look good above ground, doesn’t mean all is healthy and well underneath.
The vital function of a tree’s root system is to anchor the portion of the tree above ground and to absorb and transport water and minerals from the soil to the rest of the tree.
Healthy root systems are anchored to God’s Word. The righteous delight in God’s law and meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). They accept His word, store up His commands within them, turn their ear to wisdom, and apply their hearts to understanding (Proverbs 2:1-2). They do what it says! Is that true of you and me? If not, we need to anchor our roots!
Healthy root systems absorb and transport the living water and bread of life to every word, action, and thought. The righteous remain in Jesus, the true vine, and He remains in them (John 15:1-4). Is that true of you and me? If not, we need to nourish our roots!
Wisdom Step: Do you see signs and symptoms of root disease in your life? If so, be wise and go to God and His Word for restoration.
The one who sinks the roots of his choices, allegiance and commitment deep into God and His ways will find security and longevity. Living God’s way brings stability and fruitfulness.
John A. Kitchen
No comments:
Post a Comment