We are thankful the rains have started early this year in Southern Africa. After years of drought, consistent heavy rains are a reason to rejoice! I am thankful that the Lord is good. He causes the rain to fall on the just and on the unjust. The first rain causes as much excitement around here as when those first beautiful snowflakes fall from the sky in the other hemisphere! We had not seen rain since February. Needless to say, anything you wanted to survive a dry season such as that must be watered well by other means. The experts tell you it is best to water things deeply; to encourage a strong deep root system and healthier plants. It takes time. Watering your garden lightly and hastily propagates shallow roots.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 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.Psalm 1:2-3
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.Jeremiah 17:7-8
How are my roots in the Word of God? Am I encouraging deep roots in my children? Deep roots in God's Word creates stability, facilitates growth, and also healthy, beautiful blooming. James Montgomery Boice once said that the real battle in our times would not be the inerrancy or infallibility of Scripture, but Its sufficiency.
We need to be deeply rooted in the Word of God. We need to saturate our lives and homes with God's precious Word. Those times when you go through things so difficult that you understand the help of man is vain. People mean well, but at times like that, human help fails. You come face to face with the limitations of even the most compassionate person; yet the pain is deeper still. Only God can comfort us at times like this, and He does that through His Word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.Psalm 119:71
We must be careful that we are taking in Scriptures. We can too easily be distracted by a sprinkling of nice inspirational sayings from social media or a squirt of feel-good quotes from a blog or book . Those aren't wrong but they aren't the Word of God. To have deep roots we must be careful to not spend more time thinking on things people said than on the Word of God itself.
As mothers, to encourage deep roots in our children, we must create an atmosphere centered around God's Word and teach them to drink for themselves for their leaves to be green in times of drought personally or in the culture around us. We nor they will make it with shallow dry roots. We must water gently, constantly, and before the heat of life. Deeply water with the nurture and admonition of the Lord, not of us.
One author stated, "We need God's word more than we need food. We are strengthened by it. We are equipped for every good work through it. We can trust that where God sends out His word in our lives, it will not return to Him void. It will accomplish the thing for which He sent it. We've simply come to feast. We have all been invited. There is a place prepared by a loving Father for each of us. The food is abundant, endless, nourishing, restoring, perfect, and occasionally confusing. The task is simple. Eat it. Do it again. Do it forever. Enjoy the bounty before you - enjoy what your Father has done for you and said to you. Trust the Master of this feast, and enjoy the table fellowship. But Many of us are not in our chairs. We're under the tables, scavenging for crumbs dropped by the good eaters at the table - famous bloggers, Christian teachers, great preachers. We can find enough crumbs at their feet to survive, maybe even live well, but we wouldn't be obeying God."
Mother of little ones, I hear you. Those with debilitating health issues and trials, I see you. Just make sure you eat - and eat the right thing. Just make sure you're taking in the rich Word of God. It's too easy to just grab the fast food devotionals, or instant inspirational quotes on social media. Nothing wrong with those things, but if they take the place of the feast of God's Word, before long you may find yourself shallowly rooted, weak, and not thriving. This is vital for us and our children!
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments:Psalm 78:7
Even though the rains have started and have softened the hard, parched ground, the blooming flowers are a constant reminder that we need to water deeply with long exposure to the Word of God. Soak in it. Read together. Read alone. Play it through the house. Fall asleep to it. Let it fill the room as you get ready. Write a verse/verses to keep your mind focused on. May there be much preaching, many songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Share verses with others. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Pray it.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...Colossians 3:17
