FLOURISH IN DEPTH AND VITALITY

And in that day there shall be a ROOT of JESSE, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious– Isaiah 11: 10

The palm tree doesn’t just grow or survive; it thrives and flourishes in the desert! It FLOURISHES in DEPTH and VITALITY! In Scripture, the palm is always the date palm – majestic, regal and beautiful. It has extremely deep tap roots – called a root ball –which makes it to flourish in the desert, growing tall and living long. The roots of the palm tree find moisture deep below the burning sand. Even in barren soil, the palm tree is watered deep at the roots, which go down until they strike the living springs of water. This signifies anchorage and nourishment of the righteous. Though hidden from view, the root is a vital part of a tree, which provides depth, strength, and stability. The deeper the root, the stronger and more stable the tree is. JESUS is the “ROOT of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people” (Isa.11:10a). Isaiah 27:6 says, “Those who come He shall cause to take ROOT in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with FRUIT.” This is the divine principle: rootedness determines fruitfulness.

Like the palm tree, the Christian must go deep with God in order to flourish in this desert world. The Palm Tree believer is deeply rooted in Christ and His words, and derives nourishment day-in day-out from Him. He cannot be easily uprooted or blown away with heavy storms: “the root of the righteous cannot be moved” (Pro.12:3b). This indicates the steadfastness of the believer in the truth of God’s word in the midst of challenges. Taking deep root implies letting Christ live His Life through you: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20). It means: abiding in Him and letting His Word abide in you: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (Jh. 15:7). Paul described divine depth thus: “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Col.2:7).

Being rooted in Christ connotes being established, immoveable, stable, and growing. Practically, to go deep, you have to be a prayer warrior who has learnt to: “Pray without ceasing” (1The.5:17). Depth in Christ is more about ‘kneeology’ than about theology! Many Christians don’t flourish because they are looking for nourishment on the surface. Shallow Christians look to the world for refreshment, but the world will never satisfy. The fashion, fads, and entertainment of the world are shallow and unfruitful. In addition, precious Gems of Revelation are never casually picked from the ground surface; they are consciously mined and dug from the depths of the earth: “Oh, the depth of the RICHES both of the WISDOM and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33).

Like the palm tree you have to send your tap-root deep into the Word of God. This further guarantees that you are rooted in the Supernatural. Your creation and making is rooted in the supernatural (Gen.1:26-28). You are spiritual and divine in nature (1Thes.5:23; 2Pet.1:3, 4). You are a spirit after the order of your Maker. You must re-discover your roots in God in order to unlock the vast potential of the supernatural for your well-being and fulfilment in life. There is no limit to your lifting in life when you understand your root and depth in Christ (Col.2:3-7). The depth of your root in Him determines the vitality of your life and your heights in destiny. Planted in the house of the LORD, may you be rooted deeper and deeper, to thrive and flourish in His courts, in Jesus name!