Deep Roots

     One of my daily devotions this morning was on the topic of Palm Sunday where people lined the streets waving palm branches as Jesus returned to Jerusalem. The devotional passage associated with my devotion took me to Psalm 92:12. As a practice, I research the scripture that is associated with the provided verse because I have found that this gives me a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding that particular scripture and sometimes a clearer message of the intent of the verse in context. As I was reading today's verse the two verses that follow verse 12 gave me the thought for this week's FTM.  
12  The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
¹³ planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green
 Psalm 92:12-14
     When we look at a tree the things we notice are the outreaching branches full of life, the beautiful foliage that provides comfort and shade from the sun's wrath, and the fruit of which we partake and are nourished. Sometimes we may even take in the beauty of the trunk of the tree, the bark of the cherry tree is especially pleasing with it's sleek and shiny smooth base. These are the aspects of a tree that we find pleasure in, yet the most critically important part of the tree is the one that we do not see and does not receive many accolades for it's beauty or appearance.
     In the case of the roots of a tree we all realize that without the roots the tree would not exist. The roots provide the nourishment for the tree to grow and also for the blooms of spring to eventually result in the fruits of June and July. I suppose the roots are kind of like the "behind the scenes" contributor to a tree's success. Not only do the roots provide nourishment they also provide stability. Where we live we are surrounded by trees and during thunderstorms and high winds I say a little extra thank you for the roots of the tree that have spread out and down deep providing a strong, firm foundation as the winds sway the branches back and forth. Without deep roots trees would not survive even the mildest storms we experience each year. So, as beautiful and beneficial that the trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit are, without the roots none of these would be of relevance to our lives.
     Isn't that how it is in life? Aren't we recognized and acknowledged for what we do on the surface of life? Are not our accomplishments and accolades founded on what is seen and how we go about our business each day? We will be known by our daily deeds whether they are good or bad. The difference being in what we are rooted. In life our "roots" will determine how we grow and how well we will handle life's storms. If we plant our roots in the wrong places they will not flourish and when the winds are rising and our faith is challenged we will not be able to withstand the challenges facing us. If our roots are planted in faith and trust then they will grow deeper and stronger which in turn allows us to face and overcome the storms that we face in our families, relationships, finances, workplaces, and all other areas of life where we can experience hardship or tragedy.
     The fruit of the tree is what we enjoy, yet unless the roots are firm and have grown deep we may never get to experience the joy of the fruit! This week reflect on what you are rooted in and how that impacts your daily walk. You may find that your priorities are set on the things that others see such as the branches and fruit on the tree creating a need to reorganize your priorities giving more attention to the source of our growth, our roots! Have an amazing week and dig deep!
Coach Carter