Lets talk Roots

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 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.

We should all want to be like the trees mentioned in Jeremiah 17. These trees are stable and strong and have maturity. They are rooted.

These kind of trees provide living space for animals, fruit for nourishment, shade for rest, and resources to build. But none of those things would come forth without a deep root system. Good roots reach deep and create an anchor that is typically unseen. Its funny how the unseen things have so much affect on our life.  

Growing deep roots is not glamorous. It is typically done in obscurity. It's a process where motives get dealt with and character is formed. Root growing will not make the Olympic highlight reels anytime soon. I have been through many seasons of character/root growth and its rarely a super-happy-fun time.

Roots are not as evident as the part of the tree that we actually see. I spent some time in the Redwoods and was amazed at their majestic grandeur. Others can't always look into your life and see a deep healthy root system. Deep roots don't always come across in dynamic or exciting ways. I mean...anchors may make a great tattoo but they are not that exciting. Whens the last time you and your friends sat around talking about roots and anchors? Yup.

Roots show themselves in storms and crisis. Roots keep you grounded when everything around you is in chaos. God examines our root system when He looks at our lives. We tend to judge the outward.  God judges the inward. He can see your root system and knows if you have partnered with Him to allow them grow deeper.

I read up a little on root systems. In hard soil roots grow out horizontally but with softer soil roots grow down deep. We can help develop the type of soil our lives and hearts have when we are going through a growth process.

Hard hearts tend to push against the good work of God in our life, but embracing and yielding to His hand, though painful at times, can yield incredible results.

How is your root system?

How can you help them go deeper?

A word of advice that I have learned about roots.

Embrace the process. It's worth the price.

Breakups, Flowers, and Jesus

God really does know every facet of your heart. He knows what you are going through, how you think, and what what state of mind you are in. More importantly, He knows every detail of what is happening inside your heart. Sometimes it's hard for me to even know what is happening inside my heart but Jesus knows.

Let me tell you a story about a breakup, flowers, and Jesus. Back in the mid-nineties I was living in Texas and was involved in a college ministry that was seeing God do incredible things. We had about 400 college kids coming to our services. Our small groups, which we called life groups, were experiencing rapid growth. God was doing some really amazing things during this time.

Most of the students involved in this were from a more conservative background, but we were seeing God come in powerful ways and seeing changed lives with one encounter with Him. I was learning how God speaks and would often ask God to speak to me with a “word” when praying with someone. Our small group format looked this this: worship, discussion, and prayer and ministry times.

During one small group ministry time I asked the Lord for a “word” for a girl whose apartment we had been meeting at. I saw a very simple picture for her when I was praying. Jesus was giving her a white rose and I had the impression that He was asking to be her friend. During a group ministry time I gently shared the impression that I felt God had showed me with her.

Well, much to my dismay, she started bawling and quickly left the room. Some girls in the leadership team quickly followed her. This was a little Awkward. I was just trying to learn how to hear God speak and did not know if I had just completely offended her with what I shared. There is usually some risk when trying to grow in the things of God.

But, He does speak and He is speaking all the time. God said that His sheep will know his voice. He said the prophetic words are given to strengthen, encourage, and comfort his people. ( Do you realize that it is God's will for you to be strengthened, comforted, and encouraged?) Sometimes these words do not come in the form of picture or “word”. I don't know how many times that God has spoke to me from everyday conversation and at some point in a conversation you just know God is speaking through them. Anyway...back to my story.   

Well, the next day my lifegroup leader told me that I had really heard from God.  I had no idea of what had occurred when I had shared the word for that girl and was thinking I needed to apologize. He went on to share that earlier during the previous day this girls boyfriend, that she had hoped to marry, had broken up with her. He had done this by giving her a white rose and said that he just wanted to be friends. Wow….mindblown.  

That was the same picture that I had seen. Except it wasn't a breakup. It was Jesus standing with a white rose asking to be her friend. I had no idea. The picture and impression I had was not very strong. I was just stepping out in faith knowing God wants to speak to others to strengthen, encourage, and comfort.  She was wrecked by the word. Jesus saw the heartache and wanted to step in and be a friend to her during that time. Jesus, in one instance , said that I know you just lost the most important relationship in your life, but I want to come in and be that guy now. Simple. Powerful.

Jesus knows your heart. He knows what you are going through. He is always speaking. He wants to be your friend. Are you willing to be a vessel that he speaks through? Risk it.