We are heading into our second day of a special series with Eryn Lynum. What happens when water penetrates the seed and the growth process starts? Roots! Today we look at roots, what Jesus says about roots, and why roots are so important.
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Transcription:
Guest Speaker: Eryn Lynum
Welcome to the Bible for Busy People Podcast. I’m Eryn Lynum, master naturalist, Bible teacher, and author, and I am thrilled to be with you this week as we explore trees. Specifically, what can trees teach us about God and how do we see trees throughout the Bible? Yesterday we began with tree seeds, and we explored the importance of healthy soil conditions and making sure that our seeds of faith and our seeds of work are growing where they can best thrive. So, what happens when water penetrates a seed in the soil and the hard outer shell of that seed cracks open? What’s the first thing to emerge? Roots. Today, we’re exploring tree roots both in nature and in the Bible. Yesterday we read Jesus parable in Matthew 13, which is all about soil and seeds. Let’s move further into that passage today and read about Jesus’ own explanation of the parable, which he gives in verses 20 to 21.
He said, the seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
So what do we see is absolutely essential, once that seed sprouts? It’s roots. Roots are the first thing that emerge from a seed. And in order for that plant to grow and strengthen and mature and thrive, those roots need to be strong. When it comes to roots, I love looking at perennial plants. So, a perennial plant is one that comes back and grows again year after year, and we can compare these to annual plants that only have one year of growth. Trees are a perennial plant. In the winter they go dormant and they’re reserving all of their energy so that they can strengthen their roots. And then come springtime leaf out and blossom again.
So, what makes the difference between annual plants and perennial plants? Well, it comes down to their roots. Perennial plants can regrow each year because of their strong root system. In fact, their roots strengthen with each consecutive year, and the plant comes back bigger and stronger and more beautiful than the year before. My family and I, we moved into a new neighborhood about a year and a half ago, and we’ve been working on our half acre yard to really restore this wildlife habitat. And our neighbors are so gracious, they’re always stopping by with plants from their own yards, and they come with these perennial plants that they’ve divided and given us sections of with the roots. So last fall, a neighbor stopped by and she had for us these small sections of irises, a beautiful showy purple flower. When she gave them to me, they didn’t look like much and I put them into the ground and they were small. They looked a bit sick and withered. I think they were suffEryng from some shock from the transplant. But I put their roots into the ground and I covered them up with soil. And then I wondered all winter long if they had died. But this spring they sprouted. And not only that, these flowers are thriving. They spent all winter long strengthening their roots, and now they’re over a foot tall with these beautiful blossoms. When it comes to growth and longevity, roots matter. This is because roots have two main jobs. First, they take in nutrients and deliver those to the plant. And second, they stabilize the plant. You know what? The roots of our faith have these same two jobs.
Let’s look first at nourishment. Just as roots deliver water and nutrients to a plant, we can root our faith into God’s living waters. Listen to Jeremiah 17:7-8:
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green; and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.
When we trust in the Lord and we root ourselves into his word and presence, we do not need to fear drought. Whether it is a drought of faith, a drought in our marriage or parenting or a friendship or a career, or ministry, these drought seasons will come. But we do not need to fear because we are rooted into the everlasting and all powerful God. Jesus spoke these words in John 4:14,
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
We can root into Christ because his well of living waters never runs dry. I live in Colorado and in the springs, our rivers run full because of the snow melts coming down from the mountains. But come late summer, the rivers can be dry as a bone. I live right by a reservoir that is drained in the late summer. And so, while we enjoy looking out over our lake for several months in the spring and early summer, my kids know that come fall, they can go run and play across the dry lake bed. But God’s word is not like that. His word is forever flowing. His river never runs dry. We can root ourselves into God’s word and also into our faith community. You see something else interesting about tree roots is that they can send nutrients through that root system to surrounding trees. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 says,
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The same is true for roots of a tree. If a tree is sick, those nearby trees can send nutrients through that connected underground root system and help nourish it back to health. What a beautiful image in nature of the body of Christ. So, roots deliver nutrients and they also help stabilize a tree and keep it grounded. Colossians 2:6-7 says,
Therefore, as you received Christ, Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding with thanksgiving.
In today’s world, it’s easy to feel confused and like the winds of culture are blowing hard and every which way, and it’s dizzying and it’s exhausting. But we can be grounded and stand firm. God’s word and his steadfast hope stabilize us. Well, a tree can only grow upwards with strong roots. So, with our roots plunging deeper tomorrow, we’ll look at the growth of a tree and how we can read a tree’s life story as we study its rings. And perhaps we’ll learn a little bit about our own stories while we’re at it.
Dear heavenly Father, God, our creator, you have given us in trees this beautiful image of roots and the importance of them for delivering nutrients and life and stabilizing us. So Lord, help us root deeper into your word and your presence. Amen.
Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for Busy People. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life. Find more podcasts that will recharge you at onpurposely.com.
