As I walk past this tree, I can’t help but think of Jeremiah 17:5-10:

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (New Living Translation)

These verses have been my stronghold for many years.

I also find myself thinking of Mark 8:24 when Jesus heals a blind man. During the healing process he looks up and says,

"I see people; they look like trees walking around."

And so, I think of trees in the natural. I think of their roots, normally hidden and yet so vital for the growth and health of the tree.

As winter approaches and temperatures fall, tree sap migrates down to the roots for survival. While the tree above is dormant, the roots are hard at work, preparing for springtime; seeking out and soaking up water, extending further, creating a better, stronger base for the future mature tree. And this tree sap transfer to the roots also encourages growth in the trunk. This means that every winter, while the tree is preparing to go dormant, its trunk is growing thicker and stronger to support the tree when it flushes again in spring. (Source: plantmegreen.com)

And so, I then turn to spiritual truths…

We, like trees, need healthy roots that reach deep into living water.

Living water is pictured in Ezekiel as flowing from under the Temple and in Revelation as a river of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

In John 7:37-39 Jesus also speaks of living water, saying,

“'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

As we drink, His life begins to flow in us. There is a blessing that flows as we trust in God and place our hope and confidence in Him and we in turn release rivers of living water for others.

But these roots are hidden. Just as our hearts are hidden. Winter is the time that the Lord invites us to allow Him to:

Search our hearts and examine our secret motives.

And so, as we allow the Lord to search our hearts and examine our secret motives these are some of the questions we can ask ourselves today…

What wells do we go to for confidence?

What places do we look for hope?

Where does our strength lie?

In whom is our refuge?

In what do we trust?

Hold on to God!

He is building enduring faith in you in the winter in preparation for the budding of spring and if we endure it will come to full fruition in the harvest of summer!