Topic: How Do You Develop Spiritual Roots? [RICK WARREN Devotional 21 September 2021]

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How Do You Develop Spiritual Roots?

BY RICK WARREN — SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

“The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.”

Luke 8:13 (CEV)During the springtime, all the grass in Southern California turns green, the wildflowers and poppies bloom, and it’s beautiful. But the moment the rains stop, the hills turn brown again. Why? Because the grass has shallow roots. The roots can’t go down deep enough to get water from the springs that are deep beneath the ground.

When a plant has shallow roots, it may initially sprout and look good, but it withers quickly and doesn’t last. It’s the same for your spiritual life. To grow through any season, you need deep roots.

Luke 8:13 says, “The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up” (CEV).

Sometimes you may hear God’s Word and get excited about it without allowing it to change you. You act superficially. You react emotionally. You’re moved impulsively. But you don’t take the time to let it sink in.

Do you really want to be that way? No! You want to be a deep person, not a shallow person. You want to be a person with deep spiritual roots so that when recession comes and lasts several years, you’re able to keep bearing fruit. When the rough winds come and somebody in your family gets sick or a close friend dies, the trial doesn’t blow you away, because you’ve got roots.

How do you develop spiritual roots? You do it by having a daily time with God and a weekly small group time with other believers. You’ve got to spend time alone with God, and you’ve got to spend time with other believers.

If you’re not spending time with God daily, you’re going to dry up and blow away when the pressure is on. You won’t be able to handle it. You need to make time to listen during a daily time with God. Sit and be quiet. Read the Bible and talk to God. Play some music. If you like to journal, do that. Do whatever it takes for you to keep your focus on God.

You also need a weekly small group. No one has a complete perspective on life. Everyone wears blinders. The people in your small group can see things in your life you can’t see. That’s why we need each other! You learn from the people in your small group as you encourage each other and your roots go deeper.

Sooner or later, life will throw hard things your way. The question is whether you’ll have the deep roots you need to survive and even thrive through those times

• Are your spiritual roots shallow or deep? What evidence in your life shows you that?
• Is it easier for you to spend regular time with God or with a small group of other Christians? Why?
• What practical change do you want to make to your life to grow deeper spiritual roots?