Rootedness
“Blessed are those who trust in YHWH, whose trust is in God. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.”
- Jeremiah 17:7-8
In this text from Jeremiah, we learn about a tree that survives through heat and drought. Sometimes in life, we experience times of desolation that feel as life-sucking as heat and drought are to a tree. We can learn from this tree how to thrive. The tree has deep roots that grow by the stream. The tree spends time deepening its roots near the water—its source of life. If we are the tree, then the water is God. When we take time to simply be in God’s presence we will deepen our roots in God—our source of life.
During Lent we are reminded to take time to be in God’s presence, deepening our roots in Christ. I encourage you to be like the tree this Lent. Make time in your daily life to simply be in God’s presence. You can read the Bible, pray, or come to God in silence. Whatever spiritual practice you add to your life, that time spent in God’s presence will prepare you to thrive even in times of desolation. That kind of Lenten practice is one you can take with you even beyond Lent.
May God bless you during the season of Lent.