Deeply Rooted
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
I have always loved this idea of a tree planted by streams of water. It is in Psalm 1 as well. Pictures help me, so I looked some up. What do you see or think of when you look at these?
VS 
OR 
I cannot say that I know a lot about the growth of trees and their roots, but I do know that there are two essential elements for growth: good soil and a source of water. The first tree is probably getting a fairly consistent supply of water, and it looks healthy. That is, until a storm comes! Our friends have lost several trees on their property in windstorms. The roots just pull the soil, and it all falls over. One thing I know about their property is that there are huge slabs of rock everywhere. To me it seemed so strong and stable. However, the roots of trees had no place to go but out. For roots to grow down deep, the soil must be soft and penetrable.
We know in the Parable of the Sower that the soil of our heart makes a difference. Matt 13:20-21 says: As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. KJV says they had no deepness of earth. ‘Had’ has to do with ‘to hold’ or ability. There wasn’t an ability to hold because there was no depth, no deepness. How do we cultivate the soil in our hearts? Keep our hearts soft and pliable? I read that hard ground due to dryness can suffocate the roots. Is there ‘hardness’ in my heart? Are there people or situations I fret over? Do I hold grudges, anger or resentment? What sucks life out of me? Like a place in the yard that the water doesn’t reach and goes unnoticed for a long time. Dry ground can be as hard as rocky ground.
The next part of this passage talks about thorns. Matt 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. The word for ‘cares’ is merimna, which has to do with distractions. Who doesn’t have those? People wanting this or that, technology, social media, activities and events. Billboards and notifications. If we are not intentional and proactive in setting boundaries, we can be run ragged, even by good things. Then I ask myself, what might be the deceitfulness or delusion of riches for me? Is it a security or a source of happiness? The cares, distractions, and delusions of what riches can bring us cause us to become unfruitful, it does not happen all at once. We can look around and see so many living much the same way, and we see some fruit in our lives… it must be ok. It is the season I am in…. It’s just what I have to do… I want to be able to have a good retirement; then I will be able to dedicate so much more time to Him!
I have been one that sees myself so clearly in the end of Romans 7. I do what I don’t want to do, and don’t do those things I know to do. I get distracted. Why am I so drawn to that game on my phone? Ugh! How much time did I spend on that? Yikes! Who will rescue me? Abba looks at me with tenderness and says, “Daughter, turn the page.” Oh, yes. There is no condemnation. Thank you. But I still want to grow. I want to be like the trees in the pictures with the deep, thick roots. Roots so strong and resilient that even the land around washed away, but not those roots!
Finally, good soil. Vs 23: But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." He or she that hears, gives audience to the Word and understands, puts together, comprehends, considers, by implication to act piously. Not just hearing words but seeking understanding. Fruitfulness is the evidence.
In real life and in books there are people of strong, genuine faith. We become like those we surround ourselves with. I love to read about or meet people with qualities in character that I want to emulate. There are those who have deep roots.
When I read about people of strong faith and, yes, about Jesus, one common thread is the getting away to be alone with the Father. We know Jesus went to solitary places. Recently I heard about a woman, Catherine Doherty, who wrote a book called Poustinia. Poustinia is a Russian word that means ‘desert.’ It was a place where people would withdraw, to meet Christ in silence and solitude, to listen. Catherine saw that Jesus regularly withdraw to lonely places to be alone with God in quiet and in prayer. She was resolved to do the same. It became her conviction that out of those times on intimacy with the Father, with ABBA, Jesus received His vision. He received clarity about what He was to do each day, and the Holy spirit empowered Him to do that mission without being depleted or crushed. Catherine founded the Friendship House in Toronto during the Depression and served the poor there. In 1938 she opened a Friendship House in Harlem, New York and served the needs of the black community there. There would have been no end of needs and atrocities and social ills. It could have overwhelmed her. Catherine created a desert in the city, a place to withdraw and be with Jesus, a place to cut out the noise and listen. Catherine credits the Poustinia for being the transformative space in her life where she ‘caught fire and began burning for God.’ In the ‘Life With God’ podcast, Mimi Dixon tells us more about her “friend” Catherine Doherty - that she was “enlightened and transformed by her intimate relationship with Jesus” and that “people were drawn to her like a light shining in the darkness.” Catherine was a mentor to Thomas Merton for many years. One thing she said often, “This you must never lose track of, keeping first things first. To love God and know Him. Out of this focus on Him, it follows with much prayer, thought, meditation, and then action.” She says, “It is out of our intimate relationship with God that our work and our ministry flows, and it becomes contagious.”
In INSTE we learned much the same: Ministry flows from being. A few easy words to say, but so counterintuitive to our nature. We live in a world of frantic pace, but Jesus always walked. There are a million needs all around us, but Jesus knew what He was, and wasn’t, to do. One God-timed opportunity that He invites us to be a part of could make the greatest difference. One conversation with one person at the God-ordained time can change the world. How would we know? By listening. Besides that, this time with Jesus helps us align our heart with His. We sit, dwell, abide with Him and soak up the living water. Then we can be a true source of life to others. We will have a genuine love for others. People would see the fruit – peace and joy, even when it makes no sense. We, especially in the west, value work and getting things done. We want to help people. We have a calling, a gifting we want to use for the Kingdom. That is good! But those things cannot be our focus. Catherine would challenge us to: “Endeavor and strive to keep first things first. Absorb yourself in the life of God….” I love this last part – absorb in the life of God. Without this time with the Lord, the source for our “work” is only our own strength or wisdom.
Silence can feel uncomfortable. Our minds are so full of details. We have to learn how to still our hearts and be able to be present.
· Do you have a space to withdraw to? If not, ask the Lord to help you create one.
· Do you need to clean out your space, minimalize, simplify?
· What do you need to do to quiet the noise around you and within you? Sometimes the noise in our head is harder to deal with.
· Start small. One idea is to find a quiet spot, set an alarm for 1-2 minutes, maybe mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and just breathe deep breaths.
· Maybe, as Pastor Josh mentioned, you may need to set your phone aside. I heard of a family that put their phones in the closet during Sabbath to be present to the Lord, to each other, and to the moment.
· Go for a walk. (yes, without music or a podcast!)
· Are there places of dryness or hardness in your heart? Confess them to Him, and ask Him to help you keep your heart soft.
· Give yourself grace. Know you are loved. He is inviting us into relationship.
Deeply Rooted
Jan 14, 2024
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
I have always loved this idea of a tree planted by streams of water. It is in Psalm 1 as well. Pictures help me, so I looked some up. What do you see or think of when you look at these?
vs.
I cannot say that I know a lot about the growth of trees and their roots, but I do know that there are two essential elements for growth: good soil and a source of water. The first tree is probably getting a fairly consistent supply of water, and it looks healthy. That is, until a storm comes!
Our friends have lost several trees on their property in windstorms. The roots just pull the soil, and it all falls over. One thing I know about their property is that there are huge slabs of rock everywhere. To me it seemed so strong and stable. However, the roots of trees had no place to go but out. For roots to grow down deep, the soil must be soft and penetrable.
We know in the Parable of the Sower that the soil of our heart makes a difference. Matt 13:20-21 says: As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. KJV says they had no deepness of earth. ‘Had’ has to do with ‘to hold’ or ability. There wasn’t an ability to hold because there was no depth, no deepness. How do we cultivate the soil in our hearts? Keep our hearts soft and pliable? I read that hard ground due to dryness can suffocate the roots. Is there ‘hardness’ in my heart? Are there people or situations I fret over? Do I hold grudges, anger or resentment? What sucks life out of me? Like a place in the yard that the water doesn’t reach and goes unnoticed for a long time. Dry ground can be as hard as rocky ground.
The next part of this passage talks about thorns. Matt 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. The word for ‘cares’ is merimna, which has to do with distractions. Who doesn’t have those? People wanting this or that, technology, social media, activities and events. Billboards and notifications. If we are not intentional and proactive in setting boundaries, we can be run ragged, even by good things. Then I ask myself, what might be the deceitfulness or delusion of riches for me? Is it a security or a source of happiness? The cares, distractions, and delusions of what riches can bring us cause us to become unfruitful, it does not happen all at once. We can look around and see so many living much the same way, and we see some fruit in our lives… it must be ok. It is the season I am in…. It’s just what I have to do… I want to be able to have a good retirement; then I will be able to dedicate so much more time to Him!
I have been one that sees myself so clearly in the end of Romans 7. I do what I don’t want to do, and don’t do those things I know to do. I get distracted. Why am I so drawn to that game on my phone? Ugh! How much time did I spend on that? Yikes! Who will rescue me? Abba looks at me with tenderness and says, “Daughter, turn the page.” Oh, yes. There is no condemnation. Thank you. But I still want to grow.
I want to be like the trees in the pictures with the deep, thick roots. Roots so strong and resilient that even the land around washed away, but not those roots!
Finally, good soil. Vs 23: But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." He or she that hears, gives audience to the Word and understands, puts together, comprehends, considers, by implication to act piously. Not just hearing words but seeking understanding. Fruitfulness is the evidence.
In real life and in books there are people of strong, genuine faith. We become like those we surround ourselves with. I love to read about or meet people with qualities in character that I want to emulate. There are those who have deep roots.
When I read about people of strong faith and, yes, about Jesus, one common thread is the getting away to be alone with the Father. We know Jesus went to solitary places. Recently I heard about a woman, Catherine Doherty, who wrote a book called Poustinia. Poustinia is a Russian word that means ‘desert.’ It was a place where people would withdraw, to meet Christ in silence and solitude, to listen. Catherine saw that Jesus regularly withdraw to lonely places to be alone with God in quiet and in prayer. She was resolved to do the same. It became her conviction that out of those times on intimacy with the Father, with ABBA, Jesus received His vision. He received clarity about what He was to do each day, and the Holy spirit empowered Him to do that mission without being depleted or crushed.
Catherine founded the Friendship House in Toronto during the Depression and served the poor there. In 1938 she opened a Friendship House in Harlem, New York and served the needs of the black community there. There would have been no end of needs and atrocities and social ills. It could have overwhelmed her. Catherine created a desert in the city, a place to withdraw and be with Jesus, a place to cut out the noise and listen. Catherine credits the Poustinia for being the transformative space in her life where she ‘caught fire and began burning for God.’
In the ‘Life With God’ podcast, Mimi Dixon tells us more about her “friend” Catherine Doherty - that she was “enlightened and transformed by her intimate relationship with Jesus” and that “people were drawn to her like a light shining in the darkness.” Catherine was a mentor to Thomas Merton for many years. One thing she said often, “This you must never lose track of, keeping first things first. To love God and know Him. Out of this focus on Him, it follows with much prayer, thought, meditation, and then action.” She says, “It is out of our intimate relationship with God that our work and our ministry flows, and it becomes contagious.”
In INSTE we learned much the same: Ministry flows from being. A few easy words to say, but so counterintuitive to our nature. We live in a world of frantic pace, but Jesus always walked. There are a million needs all around us, but Jesus knew what He was, and wasn’t, to do. One God-timed opportunity that He invites us to be a part of could make the greatest difference. One conversation with one person at the God-ordained time can change the world. How would we know? By listening. Besides that, this time with Jesus helps us align our heart with His. We sit, dwell, abide with Him and soak up the living water. Then we can be a true source of life to others. We will have a genuine love for others. People would see the fruit – peace and joy, even when it makes no sense.
We, especially in the west, value work and getting things done. We want to help people. We have a calling, a gifting we want to use for the Kingdom. That is good! But those things cannot be our focus. Catherine would challenge us to: “Endeavor and strive to keep first things first. Absorb yourself in the life of God….” I love this last part – absorb in the life of God. Without this time with the Lord, the source for our “work” is only our own strength or wisdom.
Silence can feel uncomfortable. Our minds are so full of details. We have to learn how to still our hearts and be able to be present.
- Do you have a space to withdraw to? If not, ask the Lord to help you create one.
- Do you need to clean out your space, minimalize, simplify?
- What do you need to do to quiet the noise around you and within you? Sometimes the noise in our head is harder to deal with.
- Start small. One idea is to find a quiet spot, set an alarm for 1-2 minutes, maybe mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and just breathe deep breaths.
- Maybe you may need to set your phone aside. I heard of a family that put their phones in the closet during Sabbath to be present to the Lord, to each other, and to the moment.
- Go for a walk. (yes, without music or a podcast!)
- Are there places of dryness or hardness in your heart? Confess them to Him, and ask Him to help you keep your heart soft.
- Give yourself grace. Know you are loved. He is inviting us into relationship.