Bearing Fruit

‘And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil  and will grow up and flourish’ 2 kings 19:30

If we are to bear fruit upwards then we have to take root downwards. The root is what   supplies nourishment to the tree. If we must flourish this year, then we must grow roots. If we must survive the ever changing seasons then we must grow roots spiritually, financially, relationally and emotionally. It is inevitable if you want to survive. The process of growing roots was outlined in a way by the Lord Jesus ‘I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives’ John 12:24. Jesus is saying we need to grow roots before we can bear fruit. What we have currently is a seed. Jesus is saying a seed remains a seed except it is planted. The seed must touch the ground, die, germinate and begin to grow. The root is the first thing that grows, and then the seed begins to germinate. This tells us that when God wants to do something great, He starts with the foundation. If you want to build a house, you have to start with the foundation. How many people start building a house with the roof with the hope of sorting out the foundation later? Yet this is how a lot of people seek to build their lives because they claim not to have time for the things that will grow their roots. What will happen when the wind blows is that the house will crash. It is not a negative prophecy. Your house will not crash in Jesus Name. Still you have to pay attention to the roots. That is why someone can be a Christian for ten years and be blown away in a second. Yet another person can be a Christian for two years and be exposed to the same thing and not get blown away. The later has spent time growing roots in Christ, while the former was spending time building the roof and the lintels. The habitation of the root is the soil. Which implies that the place of growing roots is the place of humility. The word humility comes from the word humus, the same root word for soil. The place of growing roots is the place of humility. Growing roots is not cute. The roots must not lose its contact with the soul. The root of your life must not lose its contact with the place of humility.

Prayer: Father, flush out every pride in my life and take me to the place of humility. Lead me through the root growing process so that I can bear much fruit, in Jesus Name.