By Dennis Lee/Living Water Fellowship

Before we can grow up, we must grow down.

This has always been at the heart of God’s plan. This truth is present in God’s creation. Before any plant life reaches the surface and bears fruit, it must receive the necessary nutrients from the soil, so it sends its roots deep into the soil.

This is also God’s plan for His people.

This is seen what the Prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 37:31. “And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.”

God calls us to bear fruit in our walk with Him.

This is brought out in the Proverbs. It says, “The godly are like trees that bear life-giving fruit, and those who save lives are wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)

For believers in Jesus Christ this would be then be the fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives.

The Apostle Paul said, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a)

Therefore, if we are to grow deep roots so we can bear life-giving fruit, what are we to grow our roots into?

We are not to grow our roots into the world or religion. If we grow our roots into the world, then God’s love will be missing (1 John 2:15), and if we grow our roots into religion, then our fruit will be hypocritical (Matthew 6: 2, 5, 16).

Instead, we are to grow our roots deep into hearts softened by God’s word. Jesus taught this in the parable of the Sower.

“The one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

Jesus goes on to say that the ground the seed falls upon is our hearts. And for these roots to grow deep into our hearts, our hearts must be made pliable through God’s word in order to avail themselves of the nutrients necessary to provide stability and strength.

The prophet Hosea talked about this process as breaking up the hardened soil of our hearts.

“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12)

When Jesus talked about the seed that falls upon such a hardened heart, He said that at the first strong wind of persecution that which grows will be blown away.

He said, “The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” (Matthew 13:20-21)

Therefore, let’s start growing downward into God and His word so that we can grow up into mature believers in Jesus Christ.

Dennis Lee is the Senior Pastor at Living Waters Fellowship located at 211 West 1st South, behind ACE Hardware. 

This Sunday at the 10 a.m. service, Pastor Dennis message will be, “The Journey.”

Sunday Evening 6 p.m. service, Pastor Mike Rowden message will be, “Instructions for the Church,” from 2 Thessalonians 3.

Wednesday Evening Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies begins at 6 p.m. The Women’s Bible Study is studying the minor prophets, and the Men’s Bible study is going through the Life of David.

Our services can be watched live or at a time best suited for your needs on our YouTube Channel “Mesquite NV Living Waters Fellowship,” or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Living-Waters-Fellowship-Mesquite-Foursquare-Church-323286096181/