BE ROOTED ON THE STREAM OF LIFE
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat come; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV
A PAIL OF WATER VS. THE STREAM
There was a tree planted by the stream. It was young and healthy. It has plenty of green leaves and about to bear fruit in a year or two. One day a man came by, saw it, and decided to plant it on his backyard. The tree, with its roots not deeply rooted, was easily carried away without even putting a good fight.
It was painful. Many of its roots were cut by a sharp object. While the man was carrying it, the tree looked at the gently flowing stream. Its water was shimmering like crystals as rays of light from the sun hits its surface. It was a beautiful view but was gone and out of sight now.
The heat of the sun started to penetrate on its limb. The leaves started to wither. It screamed for water but the man could never seem to hear its cry. Comforted by the still damp soil from the rain last night, the tree was finally set on the not-too-deep hole dug by the man. The man covered the hole with the soil and then went inside the house. The kitchen door opened as the man came out carrying an old pail with cracks poorly sealed. Some of the water dropped to the ground as the man walked towards the newly planted tree. And then splash! The tree thirstily drunk the water poured unto it. But even the simple act of drinking was painful for the grains of sand and soil blocked the passages and some even entered its vein with the water.
"This is a new environment, new trees, new land. Tomorrow, maybe it will be okay. After all, somebody is going to take care of me. " , the tree said to itself.
For the next few days, the tree saw the man coming in and out of the house bringing that same old pail with water in it. Days passed by but the tree's thirst is unquenchable by one pail alone. There are even days that the man forgot or did not water it at all. The tree reminisced the time when it was still planted by the stream. It longed for the water which is always available to drink.
This is what the Lord says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD..." (Jeremiah 17:5)
TREE:MAN=STREAM:GOD
Tree and man, both living, both created by the Omnipotent God. In order for any plant or any living organisms to live, it needs water. Water is very important. Two-third of the earth is water and two-third of man is also water. Try not to water the plant and it will die. We see in the deserts that there are only few plants that live and most of them are planted near an oasis. A person can live for months without eating but he can never survive in just few days without drinking water. It is the same with us (man). We can never survive long without God-the spring of living water (v.13) in our lives. God has planted us NEAR Him but oftentimes we transplanted ourselves away from Him. God is all we need but we are disillusioned to believe that there is something much better somewhere other than with His presence. Again, we are disillusioned. We are hallucinating. We leave the spring of water in exchange of what we are seeing from afar, in the desert, only to find out it's just a mirage.
God is our source of life just like water to plants. The stream is just always there waiting for the tree to send out its roots to the stream. God is always there, always available, waiting for us to draw nearer to Him, to be connected to Him. God is always beside us, ahead of us, above and before us. Wherever we go (literally and figuratively), wherever we are right now in our lives, God is there also. We only need to reach out for His hand and He will be, always, ready to take our hands into His.
ROOT:TREE=HEART:MAN
Trees need roots in order to get some water. It needs to send out (an action) its roots to the source of that water. What connects the tree and the steam is the root. If the root is removed or cut off, not only the root is affected but every part of the tree. The tree must therefore grow its roots once more and send it back to the stream or it will die. Without water running through the veins, it will dry up and eventually die. Death will come. We may not notice it immediately but the very moment the root is cut off from the stream, the water will stop flowing and the farthest destination of the water will be affected first: the fruits or the flowers then the leaves, bark/branches and the trunk. The young fruit will fall to the ground unripe and not even suitable to be eaten.The flowers that are about to bloom will die without being pollinated. Leaves will start to yellow that with the slightest blow of the breeze will not be able to cling to its branch and will be easily carried by the wind to fall to the ground and decay. Everything will be useless. Everything will be a waste. What would happen to a dead tree? It will be cut off and will be thrown to the fire.
The root is the heart of the tree and the heart is the root of the man. We must always be connected to the stream. If there are times that the root (our heart)is cut off or are clog because of the mud (sins) clinging on it, we must always send our hearts once more to God and let Him wash away all our sins that keep us from God and in knowing Him deeper. If the tree runs away from the stream, dirt and mud will cling to its roots in the process of running, so the tree must return and go back to the stream.
GENTLY FLOWING WATER
God is a stream flowing gently. He is never harsh so do not be afraid to dip your heart to God. He will not flood over you. Sometimes He may cause the land you stand on to weaken or erode but only for the purpose that you will stop depending on it and trust in Him instead. He will never let you fall to the ground. He just wants you to trust and depend on Him.
In Him, you are strong and have life. In Him, you are fruitful and have everything you need. He is the source of every good thing. “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11)
When heat or drought or troubles come, God will sustain you. You will never thirst because God is a river that never runs dry. Jesus said, “…but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14). If you lack hope, go to God. He will give you hope and you will never be disappointed. If you hunger for love, come to God. His love for you will never run dry. God said, “I will maintain my love to him forever…I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.” (Psalm 89:28, 33) People may betray,forsake and abandon you but God’s love for you endures forever. “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” (Psalm 146:3) So put your confidence to the One who has and never will ever put you down. Reach out to Him always. Send out your roots to the spring of living water and you will never wither.
Do not deceive yourself by thinking that you do not need God, that you can weather this life on your own. "Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? " (Job 8:11) No, apart from God we are nothing (Psalm 16:2)
Do not depend on your intelligence, talent or skills. "What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider's web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold." (Job 8: 14-15)
Do not depend on your wealth for “whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.” (Proverbs 11:28 ). If you trust in your riches but does not have God, you will never endure. "But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. " (Psalm 49:12)
Do not depend on yourself or on someone else. “Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” (Isaiah2:22) Trust in God. No more running away from God, draw nearer to Him instead. Do not let anything: pains, hatred, not even happiness, clog your heart from God. “My people have committed two sins. They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13) 'He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden; it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks and looks for a place among the stones. But when it is torn from its spot, that place disowns it and says, "I never saw you.' Surely its life wither away, and from the soil other plants grow. " (Job 8:16-19) This is the fate of those who forsake God. So do not forsake the Lord.
TREE VS. BUSH
“I have planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?” (Jeremiah 2:31)
God intended you to be a tree. You are supposed to grow, to bring shade and shelter to others and you are supposed to bear fruit. But if you turn away from the Lord, you "will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives." (Jeremiah 17:6)
A bush is just a bigger version of grass. Would you rather choose to be a bush by turning away from God instead of being like a tree wich bear fruit in season and out of season?
If you have forsaken the Lord, don't lose hope. The Lord declares, " ' Even now, return to me with all your heart with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing..." (Joel 2:12-14) "...there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its root may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. (Job 14:7-9)
Therefore, send out your roots to the stream. Rend your heart. Return to God and you will become "like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God." (Psalm 52:8 ) and feast on the abundance in His house, and drink from God's river of delights. For with God is the fountain of life..." (Psalm 36:8-9)
To the Fountain of life, the spring of Living Water be the glory!
Your sister through the blood of Christ,
Liezl
