Roots, Dew and Mercy

UV 851/10,000 Roots, Dew and Mercy “My roots will reach to the water and the dew will lie all night on my branches.” Job 29 v 19 The roots of our thoughts, our emotions, our will, our imagination, our hope and our speech should be immersed in the water of the Word of God just as mangrove trees that grow in the delta area of a river have their roots reach into the water for constant supply and nourishment. Every thought, word and deed of ours has a root, a stem, branches and fruits. The roots are the source of nourishment, the motivation. The stem is what can be directly concluded from the root thought. The branches are the ways in which we elaborate it- the different dimensions of our lives. The fruits are the impact of our thoughts, words and deeds. When we are rooted and grounded in the Word and in the agape love of God as expressed through Christ, the dew of God’s blessings will fall like manna upon all aspects of our lives. The contrast of a plant whose root is dried up from below and whose branches are dried up from above is the description of a person who fails to let his roots deep into the water. When our roots are immersed in the love of God and His Word, we will not suffer in a time of drought or famine. We will continue to bear fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control all the days of our lives. The image of such a tree with its roots dipped in water is actually a believer who regularly reads the Word, continually meditates on the truths revealed and who imbibes it word by word even as a plant imbibes water, drop by drop. The reference to “ all night” indicates that even when we go through difficult times or daily suffering as the night occurs every twenty four hours, the dew of God’s mercy will comfort and strengthen us. During the day, the sun’s rays heat the plant and cause evaporation from the leaf pores, causing an upward suction that drives the water up the plant’ s stem. At night, the Lord sends the dew of His promises that will provide both cooling and moisture to us. As scripture says , “ The tender mercies of the Lord are new every morning.” Prateep V Philip