The Bible after uses nature and gardening imagery to illustrate its concepts. The parable of the sower. The fruit of the Spirit. Paul’s olive tree analogy in his letters to the Romans. The wheat and the tares. Soil, roots, branches, weeds, fruit…the list goes on.
Like everything in the Bible, this wasn’t done accidentally. In Church service on Sunday, my pastor talked about the “year of the trees.” Trees plant an accurate picture of how we are to be followers of Jesus: rooted and fruitful,
But what does that look like?
One answer can be found in Psalm 1. It speaks about a believer who is like a tree.
“Blessed is the man to walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he mediates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish” – Psalm 1:1-6
Immediately, we are told he’s blessed. Why? Because of his habits. If we look deeper we see:
The action in verse 1 speaks to a progressive change in state. The man goes from active walking to passive sitting. It refers to how we get caught up in sin. it begins with the path we decide to walk (which correlates to our company). Yet, we find ourselves comfortable where we are, and before we know it, we have a seat at the table.
The man in the Psalm avoids this. He doesn’t listen to those who would advise him to do evil or wrong. He doesn’t follow those traveling along a sinful path, and he doesn’t hang out with those who mock holy living. Instead, he loves the Word, studying it and thinking about it all day, because he delights in the law, he has a blessing.
Verse 3 explains his blessing: fruitfulness, it’s just not any kind of fruitfulness. It’s an abundant kind that shows who’s on his side.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he 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 its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought. Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
This adds a whole new level to the kind of fruitfulness mentioned in Psalm 1:3. We can be confident that fiery trials and dry spells will not hinder our ability to be fruitful.
God is speaking this to us, which is great. However, in order for us to be fruitful, we need to first be rooted.
Rooted In Christ
It’s common sense that roots are vital for the growth of the tree, and filter out impurities, absorb nutrients from water and soil, so the tree can mature.
Roots vary from tree to tree, but most actually only dig into the first 6 inches of soil, where the best nutrients are, and then grow outward. A root system can spread 2-3 times the diameter of the trees canopy. So, say if we have a 30- foot tree, its roots grow from 60 to 90 feet wide.
Roots are strong. They can break rocks and crack sidewalks and driveways. They are also helpful for the surrounding environment, as the prevent erosion.
Tree experts say that when there’s root damage, prompt treatment is essential to save the tree. Otherwise, the tree will slowly decay and die. If the damage is severe enough, the tree could become uprooted or fall.
If we are to be fruitful trees, we clearly need to be rooted well.
Rooted in what? The simple answer is Jesus. He is what we need to grow as strong mature trees, because he is the Vine and the Living Water.
Jesus As The Vine
In the Old Testament, a vine is a symbol of God’s people. Jesus’s last “I Am“ statement teaches that He is the true Vine.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and thrown in the fire, and they are burned” -John 15:1-6.
Branches cannot grow or bear fruit if they aren’t connected to the vine. We must be connected to Jesus if we want to bear fruit ourselves. We do this by abiding in Him. His Word provides the right nutrients we need to grow in strength and stature.
Jesus As The Living Water
In John 4 the account of the woman at the well. Jesus gives an important revelation to the Samaritan woman. It is one of the keys to being rooted in Him.
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” -John 4:13.
Jesus is the living water that nourishes our spiritual roots.
The Importance Of Being Rooted
Being spiritually rooted is impossible, not only to be fruitful but also to be steadfast. The storms and droughts of life will try their hardest to uproot you. But, if you are deeply rooted in Jesus, you will not just survive but thrive.
Colossians 2 6-10 tells us,
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
We need to be rooted in Christ Jesus so that we are not uprooted by the false teachings and doctrines of this world. Be rooted in the truth, in Christ and you will be complete.
Your Only As Fruitful As Your Roots
