Making an intended effort to be close to the Lord requires wise decisions regarding our time. We spend hours on the phone talking about nothing; just think if you spent that time with the Lord. It also requires time alone. God calls us away from the distractions and noisiness of the world so that we can cultivate our roots so that they may grow deep in Him. We receive from God when we slip away to be with Him in study and prayer: we are able to grow, develop, and be fed. It makes sure our spiritual health and growth. When we spend time with God He supplies us with strength and encourages us in following His ways. When spending time with God away from the world, hidden from public view, we exchange our weariness for His strength, our weakness for His power, our darkness for His light, our problems for His solutions, our burdens for His freedom, our frustrations for His peace, our confusion for His calm, our pain and suffering for His healing comfort, our hope for His promise: our questions for His answers, our confusion for His knowledge, our doubt for His assurances, our nothingness for His awesomeness, our earthly life for His lasting forever, and the impossible for the possible. The impact of our ministry to people will cause someone to turn their life around in part or in whole because of the time we spend with God. Roots are our storage place where we can reach deep down in time of need and pull out what we need. Jeremiah 17 tells us the person who trusts in the Lord shall be like a tree planted by the water which spreads out its roots by the river and will not fear when heat comes, but it's leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought. A drought is a long period of time where there is little or no rain and a cease from yielding fruit. The trusting soul whose roots are collecting life giving water will show several qualities: (1.) they will not be afraid of the scorching heat, but they will endure the heat with leaves of green even if the days turn into a year of no rain. (2.) they will bear fruit faithfully. They will not stop bearing fruit because of stored up nourishment from God Himself, like a tree of life; they will be able to create fruit by a natural process in season and out of season (Psalm 1:3). We need to regularly draw refreshment, by drinking and eating from God's Word.
God creates in us an extra supply of hope and strength in Him. Oh God, what love You have for us and we thank You; it's there even when times gets rough. We won't run out of it, we won't dry up, we won't break apart, we won't die. We won't run out of gas nor fall down suddenly or wear out; we won't give up. Here is the good news. We will just reach down in our hidden place, for our extra supply of what God has given us and be able to go from strength to strength (Psalm 84:7). Roots are for our support, without our root system that God has given us the things of this world become too heavy to bear because we have nothing to support us. And because we don't have strong roots, sooner than later we have to be propped up, tied up, staked or straighten up; until the next problem comes along and we fall all over again. But with healthy firm roots no winds can blow us down, simply meaning we have the Word of God rooted in us like an anchor and we will stand tall and Satan can't knock us down. Roots deep into God's truth are really needed for a future use, especially for when times get rough. Have you ever had a challenge that tested your ability to do something difficult for a long time, and because of it you had no time for a formal or quiet time with God? Did you dig into your reserve, or if you did what did you have stored up in there? Was it God's amazing Grace? Did you find the strength in Scriptures that you remembered over the years? Did you gain energy from the Psalms you read, did you remember what you read and studied and prayed through in your earlier and quiet times with God? Through digging in our secret place with God we will experience a peace that surpasses all understanding guarding our heart (Philippians 4:7.) We will be strengthened by the example of Christ and a lot of men and women in the Bible who have also drawn what they needed from God's Word. Roots deep into God's truth are really needed for extra strength, when times get rough. Roots are for support and without a larger or a more advanced root system we can't stand strong in the Lord. But when we have a strong solid root system, we can gain strength needed for standing firm in spite of the pressures from life. Abide in Jesus, and let His Word abide in you and there you will find a powerful Root System. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." Colossians 2:6-7.
