The spiritual theme of our church this year is “Rooted.” The Bible says in Colossians 2:6,7, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
We live in an area where agriculture is still very prominent, and I am reminded of how hard these farmers work to see work produced from the ground up. As we study the Bible, we often see the teachings that coincide with a similar position to that of the farmers.
I have often been reminded of the words of Hosea as I watch the farmers year after year prepare for the harvest, “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12
I have never attempted to garden, but I desire to one day give my green thumb a try. However, as a Pastor, I understand more than ever that we ought to be busy planting ourselves next to the source of Jesus Christ.
Biblically, being planted means being rooted and grounded by water. Being planted also means that you have a connection to the right source. A Christian is planted by water when they are connected to God’s word and understand God’s will. The only way one can glorify Christ is by being rooted in God in this type of manner.
As we look to the Psalmist, he reminds us of how a Christian is to be planted. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:1-3
There are two vitally essential thoughts from the Passage in Psalms 1 on how a Christian should be rooted.
I). Separate from the world
I can still hear the words of my homiletics teacher today, “God wants us to live in the world, but he does not want the world to live in you.” The Apostle Paul said this: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord…” 2 Corinthians 6:17
So, if you are going to be a rooted Christian, then it is time to let go of sinful lifestyles.
II). Search the word
It is of the utmost importance to understand a firmly rooted believer is in love with God’s word. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8
The sad reality is that Christians are more in love with the world than God. So let me encourage you to search the word this year.
The picture I have used for this post is a massive reminder of the barrenness of our spiritual lives. The world is empty, like the desert, and there is no place for growth, but everything close to the water grows.
It is productive because it is close to a source that gives life. Jesus sat at Jacobs’s well and delivered a life-changing message to the woman at the well, “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Let me encourage you this year to be planted by the water.
