Roots or shoots?

Because they had no root they withered away. — Matthew 13:6

In the life of trees, one key to survival is having more roots than shoots. In his book Oak: The Framework of Civilization, author William Bryant Logan says, “If a tree puts on a lot of top growth and few roots, it is liable to be weak-wooded and short-lived . . . If a tree puts down a great deal of roots and adds shoots more slowly, however, it is liable to be long-lived and more-resistant to stress and strain.”

People and organizations can be like trees. The rise to prominence is exhilarating, but anything that puts up shoots faster than it puts down roots is fragile and in danger of breaking, falling, or dying.

Jesus used a similar analogy in His parable of the sower. People who hear the Word and receive it joyfully are like seed sown on stony places; they spring up quickly but endure only a short time because they have no roots (Matt. 13:6, 20-21).

Roots aren’t at all glamorous, but they are the source of our strength. If our roots go deep in the knowledge of God (Jer. 9:24) and our lives are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3), we’ll be strong, resistant to blight, and more likely to survive the storms of adversity.

How deep are your roots? — Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, keep me from being envious of the beautiful and the seemingly powerful. May I use Your resources to put down roots that will make me strong rather than branches that will make me attractive. Amen.

READ: Matthew 13:6

The roots of stability, come from being grounded in God’s Word and prayer.

The Bible in one year:

• Isaiah 19-21

• Proverbs 23:12-28