“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.” – Isaiah 37:31

Since childhood, I’ve always been fascinated by trees. I planted my first tree, a jackfruit tree, when I was about eight years old and it’s still standing strong.

I hate it when trees are cut down for whatever reason. Indeed, the Bible expressly forbids the wanton cutting down of trees (Deuteronomy 21:19).

It was intriguing to discover that the Shepherd’s Tree is said to have the deepest roots; its tap root can go hundreds of feet into the ground.

No prizes for guessing where this tree thrives – in harsh deserts where the dry season can last eight months or more.  

To thrive in harsh environments, ever-green trees must have deep roots. To remain firm in windy regions, trees must have a strong root system.

Pines, oaks and walnut trees are the other types of trees with very deep and extensive root systems.

Not surprisingly, these trees also have the longest lifespans; some are known to remain alive and blossoming for hundreds of years.

It was equally interesting to discover that in their earlier years, giant trees show very slow growth above the ground.

Instead, they concentrate all their energies and resources on deepening their root systems downwards before growing upwards.

Just deepen your roots into Christ and His Word, osirike!

Evidently, the Bible verse for our meditation today did borrow the terminology from agriculture. When a tree bears poor fruits, the problem is most likely below the ground.

For plants, roots are important for conducting water and minerals from the soil up to the branches, as well as working as food and water storage and of course for supporting the plant firmly in the ground.

In the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:13), Jesus explained that the seeds that fell on rocky ground represent people who receive the Word of God joyfully but quickly wither away in the face of temptation because “they have no root.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 describes the “blessed” man who shall be like a tree that spreads out its roots by the rivers and thus shall not cease from yielding fruit.

There is always hope for a tree that has a solid root system; even if it is cut down, it will sprout up again and blossom if its roots remain intact (see Job 14:7-9).

Ephesians 3:17-18 shows us that being “rooted in the love of Christ Jesus” is God’s prescription for living what I would call the ‘Four-Dimensional (4D) Life’ – which acknowledges the width, length, height and depth of the unfathomable love of Christ.

Simply put, just deepen your roots into Christ’s love and His Word osirike!

Prayer:

 Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of Christ’s unbridled love for me. I pray that you keep deepening my roots in my acknowledgement of that unfailing love that I may always thrive and bear fruit that glorifies your Name. Amen!