“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; rooted and built up in Him.” Colossians 2:6-7
“Yum, yum! This peach is so good—sweet and juicy. I’d like another one.” Did you ever say something like this? How do you suppose all that flavor and juiciness gets into a peach? Someone might answer, “Through the sunshine.” That’s partly right, because all plants need light. But there is something else that is important, and that is the roots. Hidden down in the soil, they give life to the parts of the plant that we see aboveground. Roots are an important wonder of God’s creation in providing for our needs.
We read in Genesis 2:7, “The Lord God formed man of the dust [soil] of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” When God chose rich soil to form the first man, we may be sure He was planning ahead to care for his needs as well as for all of us. Adam’s body, created with the important minerals, nutrients and moisture of that very soil, could continue to live. His hunger would be satisfied from plants. Fruits, vegetables, seeds and plants themselves would supply these important items from the soil—by way of the roots.
This is why our title reads, “Roots Are Important.” It is through the hidden roots that these important minerals and nutrients are taken from the soil and passed on to the parts of plants that we eat.
Not all food grows aboveground. Instead of sending all minerals and nutrients into the parts of the plant aboveground, some roots store them. Many of these roots are good to eat—carrots, radishes, beets, potatoes and others.
God’s creation, of course, has many growing plants not meant for eating. Even a little blade of grass depends on a root, as do huge redwood and sequoia trees that grow as high as 300 feet aboveground. If you could dig all the dirt away from the base of most large trees, you would find the roots spread out from the trunk at least as far as the overhead branches extend. You have probably noticed how strong roots of shade trees often crack and raise pieces of cement sidewalks several inches. Even small roots will sometimes break stones apart.
In Psalm 1, a man who delights in the Word of the Lord is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” Just as tree roots get needed water from the river, so we get our spiritual food from God’s Word, the Bible. In Ephesians 3:17 we learn that when Christ lives in our hearts by faith, we are “rooted and grounded in love.” Is your life rooted in the love of the Lord Jesus? Are you getting your daily food from His Word?
ML-11/16/2014