Growing Deeper Roots

I was captivated by this picture. The tree was strikingly green and very healthy on the outside but what caught my eye was what was underneath.   Almost as large as the branches above, the tree had this intricate and deep root system below.   

I don’t know if you have ever really thought about what is happening underground.  Since we cannot see the roots, our minds may think they are unimportant or not substantial to the overall growth of the tree, but nothing could be further from the truth.   In order for a tree to remain strong, they need to have a root system that spreads underground just as wide as their branches reach above ground. 

Just like a tree, God wants you and me to grow deep roots in our faith.  

A tree needs depth to withstand the storms of life and so do you and me.  These deep roots are essential for trees to be able to endure strong winds and storms.   What if deep roots were not just to help us survive but also to make us grow and thrive!

Listen to this powerful story:

The man who told God he quit decided to go to the woods to have one last conversation with the Lord.  “God, You disappointed me,” this man said. “You’ve got me stuck out here and I don’t know why.  I don’t know how long I’m going to have to stay here in this situation before my change is coming. I’m ready to give up-unless you do something or say something right now.”

Just at that very moment, the heaven opened, and a voice spoke to the man.  It said, “Look around and tell Me what you see.”

The man looked around and told the voice from heaven that he saw ferns growing in a pot and also some bamboo.  The voice from heaven replied, “Exactly.  Now let me tell you about the ferns and the bamboo.”  The man perked up his ears to listen intently.

“When the fern seed was planted, the ferns grew up very quickly, and they became lush and green and beautiful.  But when the bamboo seeds were planted, nothing grew at all during its first year.  Same thing with the second year.  And the third.  And the fourth.  It wasn’t until the fifth year that the very first small shoot of bamboo came up.”

Then the voice from heaven paused, allowing that reality to sink in.  Then continued with a question, “How tall is the bamboo you are looking at?”

The man answered, “At least a hundred feet tall.”

“You are right,” the voice from heave said.  “And the reason bamboo is a hundred feet tall is because during the five years when you saw nothing, it was growing deep on the inside.  It was growing strong, deep roots down beneath the surface where you cannot see.  The reason why it was going deeper first is because I knew I had planned for it to eventually be over a hundred feet tall.  I knew how high I planned to take it, and in order for it to sustain that height, it would have to grow deeper inside where no one could see anything at all.”

This story ignites an excitement and hope in me.  I read this story in Tony Evan’s book, Detours.  Listen to what Tony says, “If God is taking a long time with you on your detour, it is because He is trying to take you deeper on the inside first.  He is trying to develop and strengthen you to sustain the destiny in store.  His plan for you is high.  His calling for you is tall. His purpose for you will one day soar.  But just as you can’t build a skyscraper on a chicken-coop foundation, you can’t place a divine destiny on a shallow soul.  The higher your mountains, the deeper your valleys will seem.  And difficult roads often lead to the most magnificent destinations.”

What if God is trying to grow you deeper because He has big plans for you?

All the hard times, struggles, and pain are deepening your faith.  They are growing strong, deep roots in you so that God can take you higher than you ever imagined.  He wants you to soar!  He wants you to get to this magnificent destination He has planned for you.  Does this give you amazing hope? 

So next time you feel discouraged by your circumstances, I want you to remember this important Bible verse in Jeremiah as well as this quote by Christine Caine: “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried.  But actually you’ve been planted.”    

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “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.”

Friends, I am praying for you as you grow deeper roots.

Love, Jodi

Note: If you want to learn more about growing deeper in your faith and stronger in your relationships, check out my Depth Podcast