verse 7 it says blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is the
Lord for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters which spreads out its
roots by the river you know God wants us to remember during
this time that we are planted by the waters that means that we are grounded
in our identity in Jesus like a tree that is planted permanently it doesn't
move when seasons change it doesn't leave when a storm comes
it stays grounded so you and I we're a ground that the Bible says in Ephesians
chapter 3 and rooted in love God's opinion of you doesn't change you are
who God says you are and that is where you're planted as a believer but then it
says not only we're grounded he spreads out its roots by the river
meaning I am grounded in my identity in Jesus but I'm also growing in my
intimacy with the Holy Spirit my roots are spreading I find it interesting that
it's not the branches that we're spreading it's not the fruit that was
multiplying it's not the leaves that were growing what the Lord highlights
here is a righteous man is someone who's hidden life is growing first whose
private life is increasing first whose personal life is expanding first it says
in here the branches we're spreading out I'm grounded but I'm
also growing it's easy during this time during pandemic when things are shut
down to focus on the external growth and the sales in the business and how many
members come to church it's easy to be overwhelmed with this is not growing and
this is not growing but during the hard times the Lord is teaching us in his
word to let our roots spread not just our fruit but our roots let us grow in
the hidden let us grow in the private let us grow in the secret let's not be
discouraged by maybe lack of external growth let's expand where no one sees
and then the scripture says that when you grow privately when you grow
secretly when you grow personally it says he will not fear heat when it comes
and then it says his leaves will be green he will not be anxious in the year of
drought nor will cease from yielding fruit this verse has brought so much
comfort to me last night you know part of our habit here at the church is that
during our fasting in prayer we hold night vigils not only with the morning
prayers but we also open the church at night for prayer we're into way after
midnight at the pastoral team and other people who are eager to come and pray
come and seek the Lord's face and this verse I'll reset my spiritual life reset
my hunger for God and is also dealt with some anxieties and fears because in here
it says that he will not be anxious in the year of famine in the year of
drought I kind of feel like right now is the two months of drought you know it
feels dry it feels frustrating I look at the fact that you
know the way some things are being done even by our government it just feels a
little bit irritating and there's a sense of anxiety that exists that you
know abortion clinics can be opened but churches are closed that you can go get
drugs but you know you can't come and receive prayer and just there's that
frustration that is that even anxiety that kicks in but the Bible says that
when the times are hard the righteous man he grows not only in his outward
success he grows in his private his roots spread and what that does to him
is it deals with his inner frustration it deals with his anxiety and he yields
that to the Lord things are not perfect things are not fair they never were but
as a Christian we aim for faith we go for God's favor and we know that even in
the drought you know it's only about two months that we've been in quarantine but
in here it says this man he can actually go for a year and not be anxious Man that
hit me yesterday like man it's only been two months and I cannot take one more
month of this but if I am growing in my roots anxiety will not be there even for
a year of drought why because anxiety thrives on this because of this drought
I can't be fruitful because of this drought my leaves will die but in
reality this drought cannot stop my fruitfulness this drought cannot stop
the freshness of my leaves that tells me that even in the midst of this
quarantine I can still be provided for by God even in this quarantine I can
still prosper in God even in this quarantine I will still be fruitful in
God this one encouraged somebody there don't
let the anxiety frustration and unfairness captivate your heart right now capture
your soul let your soul spread its roots in the depth of God's promise in the
stability of God's presence your leaves will not wither you will not cease from
bearing fruit fear will not be your portion and you
will overcome I just pray that over you that every anxiety every frustration
every irritation that you will yield it to the Lord right now and instead you
will embrace inward inventory and begin to grow not just on your social media
grow not just on your sales grow not just in your influence grow not only
publicly grow not only what people can see but grow in the areas that are
hidden in the areas that are private areas that are secret grow there
you're grounded in your identity grow in your intimacy in Jesus name