I sometimes catch myself wondering whether i will manage to walk this salvation journey for the rest of my life here on earth. I wonder if i can actually live out my God given purpose. Maybe Abraham, David, Enoch, Paul were not mere mortal men like you and I after all? But then again they were! Does the possibility of living a life sold out completely for God seem so real and wonderful yet at the same time impossible , scary or even a dream; considering the times we live in?
If yes, am here to tell you that you are not alone! However I am determined by the grace of God to live a life sold out for Christ. I am still figuring what that entails, but God in His loving grace is teaching me about all this.. Join me as i share what He has recently been teaching me.
I have always been fascinated by plants, by green and by nature. I remember in high school, I always found my hands lingering among the leaves and plants in the various lush well kept gardens of Mt. St Mary’s Namagunga. A walk with my close friends around school would include a chastisement from them to leave the plants alone. Little did i know that the love i had for plants was God given. He would later use this love and fascination for plants to teach me about Himself.
Last Wednesday was on of those times he used a tree to teach me. My husband and I were praying when i saw a vision of an elaborate root system and the scripture that accompanied it was ‘ They will be called oaks of righteousness,a planting of the Lord for the display of His Splendor ~ NIV
I had always heard about the magnificence and uniqueness of the oak tree but only vaguely . After this vision, i set out to learn about this tree that displays the splendor of God. I discovered that oak trees have a long lifespan usually about 200 years but some live over 1,000 years.They have strong wood which won’t break in wind, ice, or even snow storms and they grow 3 feet to 5 feet per year. The attributes of longevity and survival of the oak tree are in its elaborate root system which is not visible. The root system of a mature oak tree can go for hundreds of miles underground(very deep roots), the chief support ; the tap root will grow vertically for some distance before branching out.
What a powerful message the Lord was teaching us! In essence, He was telling us to concentrate on the unseen work He is doing in our lives. The ones which He can only show us as we spend time in His presence ; in prayer and in His Word. We are usually consumed and taken up by the ‘visible’ blessings of God and rarely take time to know the unseen blessings He is working on behind the scenes. We easily contrast His presence and His hand in our lives to what we see happening on the outside. We forget that the outward is usually an expression of what is on the inside.
As we strive to pursue our God given purpose in our time here on earth, we are hit with doubts and fears on every side pushing us abandon His purpose. His purpose almost seems impossible or too hard. However, when the Lord plants His purpose in our hearts, uniquely and individually, He begins the work of making an elaborate root system that will make the purpose stand. We have to remember that the Purpose and the Planting are His role. Ours is to cooperate / partner with Him in the process.
At the beginning of an oak’s life, when an acorn first sprouts, most of its energy is spent on root development, with little growth above ground. Many times as we start pursuing God truly and sincerely, it seems as though there is nothing to show that God hears or is answering our prayers for direction, for guidance, or even positioning to carry out the purpose. There are moments of frustration. There seems to be no outward show for our prayers. But like the oak tree, God is at work on our ‘roots’ in Him. We can’t see it, but He is at work behind the scenes.
The initial root is the tap root, which grows deep underground, seeking a dependable supply of moisture. Once this is accomplished, greater foliage and branch growth can begin. Similarly, as God is preparing us for His purpose the ‘dependable moisture’ for this work is HIS WORD. Dependable has to do with reliability and constant availability. The Word of God is reliable! It is our home / place/ school of preparation for the purpose to be birthed properly in our hearts before we can go out to do anything that will stand the ice storms, winds, snow ( pressures of this life, doubts, fears, anxiety, worry, sin and disobedience) that are able to make us give up.
Soon the taproot is surpassed by an extensive root system spreading horizontally. This lateral mass of roots will bring the tree moisture and nutrients for its lifetime. Most oak tree roots lie only 18 inches under the soil. They may spread, though, to occupy a space four to seven times the width of the tree’s crown. Root hairs, located just back from the tips of the smaller roots, absorb water and minerals and send them circulating through the root system. When two trees of the same species grow side by side, they can even share root systems that have grafted together.
How does our root system become as extensive as that of the oak tree?
Every time we hear the Word of God and step out on it in obedience, a planting of the Lord is happening. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives; love, peace, joy , gentleness kindness, patience, self control, faithfulness are the extensive roots that God is establishing in our hearts ; His garden. These are the ones that will provide moisture and nutrients (life) for the purpose. Notice that the other roots are all growing from the main tap root ; similarly THE FRUIT IS FROM THE SPIRIT. See how important it is that they are deeply extensive? Every big or small step in obedience allows for the depth of these roots to grow in preparation for the purpose God has assigned us while here on earth.The horizontal attribute of this root structure cannot be overlooked. It is underneath, unseen but it is what matters to uphold the vertical stem, which is what is seen by the physical eyes. Our Purpose in God is compared to the oak tree; long life and survival attributes only possible by God’s planting.
Heavenly Father,
I thank you because you are the planter of righteousness in our hearts. I pray that by your Spirit we may be aware of the planting of righteousness you are doing that is usually unseen. Strengthen us to know your Word and to walk in obedience as we pursue the purpose you have set out for us. Give us strength to continue walking with you, especially when it is hard. Remind us always that Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. Through Jesus Christ i pray, Amen.
References:
The root system of an oak tree -www.homeguides.sfgate.com
Amen