Deeply Rooted by Abundant Waters by Rev. Grace Reyes

 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

  “The heart is deceitful above all things,

And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?

  I, the LORD, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give every man according to his ways,

According to the fruit of his doings.

Jeremiah 17:7-10 NKJV

DEEPLY ROOTED BY ABUNDANT WATERS – REV. GRACE REYES

When you are firmly planted with deep roots, and your true potential has not been fully revealed, dare to take the leap of faith and challenge yourself to be a powerhouse for His Glory. The verse invites you to trust in the Lord, it promises that when we do so, we will be rewarded with blessings. It gives a visual context of a tree planted by a running river, and the water its roots reach is nourishing and fortifying. The leaves are lush, and the fruit is plentiful.

Water is a known representative of the holy spirit; when we are deeply rooted in the holy spirit, it shows in our actions and in our testimony to those around us. Even if we become weary, the holy spirit revives us and gives us the refreshing we need on our journey. This is why we must be in constant communion with God, seeking His counsel and prayer, the vehicle to dispel doubt and anxiety.

Jeremiah drew on the images of Psalm 1, where the blessed man is the one who delights in God’s word (Psalm 1:1-3). It appears Jeremiah thought that by trusting in the Lord was the same as delighting in His word. We who trust in the Lord and wait on His direction, we are not to become anxious when the challenges of life come upon us, the word is clear in its warning that we will have tribulations, that things will not go as we have perhaps planned them. Our first reaction is that the devil is against us, that the enemy is trying to thwart God’s plans that we are trying to carry out. But we must first test the spirit and go to God for His direction and leaning. He will for sure reveal His will for us and we will not be put to shame. We know that the heart is deceitful and will steer us to selfish ambitions that is why the scripture in (Jeremiah 17:9NKJV) warns “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” It is important to note that the Lord searches the heart and tests the mind of man and knows what motivates Him. He will repay according to our ways according to the fruit we yield.

I wish for you, that you seek Him with a pure heart, that you yearn to build a relationship with the Lord that craves the drenching of the holy spirit. Ask the Lord to lead you to deep refreshing rivers of water in which your roots can expand and widen so that you are even more effective in representing what the Lord is trying to show the world, shrouded in darkness, there is hope and freedom in Him.

The journey will be hard and there is a lot ahead to learn, but I am assured that if He hasset you apart it  is for a reason. You are blessed, you who trust in the Lord. Take up your shield and march. Be confident that you are firmly and deeply rooted and do not listen to the whispering lies of the enemy. He will come and try to derail God’s plans but only you can allow it. He is a liar and will not have you follow the Lord if he can help it.

The tree of life is a wonderful symbol, may your leaves yield bountiful fruit, and may you be blessed and full of faith as you march forward.

Submitted by: Min. Grace Reyes