As the thunder roars and flashes of lightning illuminates the sky, the rain is pounding on the roof in a steady stream. Within a few hours the storm has subsided and the sun breaks through the clouds as if it were a new day. All is well.
The ground has absorbed the overflow of water and the strong root system of the trees has stabilized them to withstand the roughest weather. If it was not for the healthy, strong roots the trees would not have a chance of survival even the mildest of storms.
It is the same basics for you and me. What we feed our spirit, soul and body will determine how well we survive the “storms” of life.
The way trees are properly maintained or tended to by the caregiver predicts their outcome and future. If a young plant is not fed (fertilized), watered, and staked properly the tree does not stand much of a chance of surviving to live out its purpose.
How we maintain a good healthy balance is by “feeding” (reading and studying) on the word of God daily. Scriptures teach that God’s word is the key to all blessings that help us maintain, survive, and come out victorious in every situation. When we become nourished in the word our “root” system (spirit) becomes like a tree planted by a riverbank becoming deeply rooted and super strong.
Psalm 1:1-3 gives us the outline of how to accomplish this lifestyle.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the paths 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 meditates 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.”
Here is the same passage only in the New Living Translation.
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
In other words, delight, joy and prosperity come to the one who follows the ways of God. Their roots go extremely deep because he/she has gained a revelation of God through meditating on what He says.
Look at three things of what being deeply rooted in the scripture does for a believer in the Word:
1. Through studying and meditating the words of God we gain the substance needed for building faith, especially in difficult situations.
During trials we are rooted in God’s word to help stabilize us so that we do not waver through the testing of faith as it states in James chapter 1. If that happens (wavering back and forth from faith and doubt), we cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord. Favor and blessings do not come to those who continually waver in unbelief.
Daily meditating on the Word of God gives us an insight to how He does things and unlocks a door for favor. In the Old Testament God gave Joshua, rules of instruction, that if he followed them the results would lead to him being successful and prosperous.
“This Book of the Law” shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall mediate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
Joshua’s success depended on his obedience; God already told him how to make it happen through meditating, studying, and focusing on His word. It was up to Joshua, not God, as to whether he would find success or prosperity by what he did daily.
Joshua had to abide by the old covenant law during his lifetime, but since Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, we now have a new covenant of grace. Romans 6:14 verifies how grace has redeemed us from the old law covenant.
“For sin will no longer be master (have dominion) over you, since you are not under (old) Law (as slaves), but under (unmerited, undeserved) grace (as recipients of God’s favor and mercy).
What then (are we to conclude)? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God’s favor and mercy? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:14-15 Amplified translation)
Now that we no longer live under law but by grace, how does the new covenant work? By faith through God's grace, mercy, and favor in the forgiveness of sin when we confess it to the Lord. Studying God’s word shows us what is sin to God and how to live in the new covenant blessings. There is no more sacrificing of animals, humans or anything else, because Jesus Christ became the sacrifice that covers every sin once and for all.
Accepting Jesus as your Savior means you have allowed Him
to be the sacrifice for the sins you committed against God without you being
punished. When you confess that you have
sinned, you acknowledge that you were guilty of doing something that does not
please the Heavenly Father. God in turn
forgives you and does not remember that sin any longer. He sees you as clean, Righteous,
and favored because you chose to do His will by asking for forgiveness.
In Joshua’s time there was only the law, because the New Testament had not been written until after Jesus was born. However, the secret to good success is still found in meditating on the Word of God, but the new covenant of grace (unmerited favor) sheds Holy Spirit light and insight to the ways of God that were not revealed in the old covenant.
This revelation can only be found by those deeply rooted in the God’s word. When we remain steadfast in the word as God commands, our faith grows, and when our faith is strong the grace and favor of God comes when we need it the most. In other words, we grow in grace and favor as our roots grow deeper in God.
(2 Peter 3:18)
2. Being rooted in God’s word will keep your faith from wavering and open doors of favor.
Look at what the Word of God says about wavering and not standing strong in faith in what the scripture teaches. It is self-explanatory as to what we can expect for doubting God at His word.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (maturity,
endurance, perseverance). But let
patience have its perfect work (in you), that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose (think) that he will receive anything from the Lord: he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:1-7 NKJV)
Flip flopping back and forth from doubting to faith to doubt will get you nothing from the Lord. He cannot grant anything that was asked because the mind is not set on what He said about a given situation. Staying focused in faith on what God has said, no matter how things look in the natural, is the way to success, prosperity, and favor.
3. Deep word study daily equips us in discernment, wisdom, and knowledge, helping us understand each situation to know what to do.
Knowing what the word says will help squash the enemy when fear and doubt try to overtake your emotions. We cannot always override emotions, but we can stay in faith when they surface by taking control of them.
Deep Roots Keep You Going
It was one year to the day when I wrote a short first draft of this lesson that never got published due to “storms” that were happening with hubby at the time. Since then, we have been through several types of storms.
In my series teaching “Dealing with Life’s Distractions” I describe the many literal storms that totally uprooted several trees in our yard. Through it all, God showed us great favor and our spiritual roots are deeper in Him than ever.
Are you struggling to keep your “roots in the ground” and not be uprooted by life’s problems? Does your faith keep getting tossed with the wind preventing God from working in your life or showing you favor due to doubt or unbelief?
Start digging into the Bible for answers; they are there! Look up passages through the concordance in the back of most bibles under a list of subjects, situations, or a specific word that you are dealing with at the time.
Read each passage listed referring to that item you searched. Suppose you needed to know what God's word says on the subject of being lonely or feeling overwhelmed ... you would look up the passages listed following the word and read them. For example:
Lonely: Psalm 22, 42; John 14:15-31a
John 4:1-30; 2 Corinthians 6:3-10; Revelation 22:17
The more you do this the easier it will be to stay in faith, because you know what God says and that settles how you think on a matter regardless to the circumstances (therefore putting an end to wavering and unbelief). Choose to believe God’s word and dig your heels in deep, standing firm on what God has said in the scriptures.
Friend, God has a purpose and a plan for your life that includes fruit for good things, blessings and a life full of hope for the future. He has designed His children to have a desire to grow stronger – grow deeper roots to thrive, not strive to achieve success or prosperity.
The only way to remain deeply rooted for favor is to feed your spirit and soul with the best food possible – the Word of God.
Until next time, Favored Blessings
*For those who trust in Jesus Christ, God gives the promise of life here but also the gift of eternal life (in Heaven; a Kingdom that cannot be shaken) as an inheritance of being His child. If you would like to have this gift also, click here to learn more.