Have you ever felt uprooted- pulled away from what had been your world and deposited somewhere new? Whether you’ve started a new job or had a major relationship change or walked through any transition to a new season of life, being uprooted from what was familiar and transplanted somewhere new can be disorienting.
As a military spouse, being uprooted is my norm. My husband and I already had five homes in our first five years of marriage, and the Air Force continues to send us packing every couple years with the knowledge that we’ll do it all again soon.
One night as I lay in bed feeling a bit dry and weary, worn down by whatever the cares were in my life at the time, I remembered having once read a verse in the Bible that said we could be like “trees planted by streams of living water.” I thought that sounded lovely, refreshing. I couldn’t remember what it said you have to do to be like that tree, so I looked it up, and here’s what I found:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
Psalm 1:1-3
That tree, it experiences changing seasons, too. Do you notice the assumption that heat will come, that there will be some years of drought? You’ve probably lived through some years like that. I know I have. But this tree, it’s ever-green. It’s flourishing, in spite of the weather! The heat can’t make it whither because it’s planted right next to the source of fresh water, with strong, healthy roots growing down deep into that nourishing soil. It has everything it needs. Oh, wouldn’t it be delightful to be like that tree?
Do you see it there, the invitation? You and I could be like that tree. The roadmap’s there, too: Trust in the Lord, place your confidence in Him, even in seasons of drought. Nourish yourself with the delights of feasting on His Word day and night. And if the peace, joy and health already wrapped up in that weren’t enough, it comes with another promise, the icing on the cake: “Whatever you do will prosper.”
Now, I think you and I both know that the promise of prospering doesn’t mean that you’ll win the lottery, or that you’ll know how to perform a successful heart surgery without going to medical school. It means something even better: it means you’ll be flourishing. You’ll be growing into the specific kind of tree that you are, tall and strong and thriving. You’ll be nourished, you’ll be pruned, you’ll spread new branches, and you’ll bloom, bearing fruit consistent with who God created you (and no one else) to be. A vibrant, fruitful tree planted by streams of living water.
Those of us who live a transient lifestyle may not be able to put down permanent roots in one location, but if we build our lives on the solid foundation of the promises of God, if we plant ourselves by that stream, it’ll keep us rooted and flourishing wherever we roam and whatever kind of weather blows in. We aren’t just uprooted by life’s twists and turns, we are guided and sustained by the Lord every step of the way. We can be UP-rooted and blooming. Let’s take Him up on that delightful promise and be continually refreshed as we drink from the streams of living water.
The Lord will guide you always;
Isaiah 58:11
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.
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