Shallow or Deep

I was hesitant about buying a raised garden planter, but I thought it was worth trying because all I wanted was two tomato plants and a few herbs. The tomato plants had flowers within two weeks, and we patiently waited for a harvest. The plants steadily grew and looked healthy, but all the pampering, watering, and pruning did not alter the fact that the one-foot-deep planter lacked depth for its roots. The lack and quality of fruit were the proof.

The same is true of our spiritual growth. We will produce little or no fruit if our roots don’t reach deep. What keeps them from spreading? A lack of feeding on God’s Word: “As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby” (2 Peter 2:2). Christians begin learning with God’s basic principles, but like babies who must transition from milk to solid food for healthy growth, we must get deeper into God’s Word, grow, mature, learning greater truths (Hebrews 5:13–14).

As we were leaving the Bible study, a classmate commented that she appreciated learning more of God’s Word in her adult years as she was not a churchgoer as a child. She found comfort in knowing that I had been in the Word since childhood and still had much to learn. Growing in the Lord is an ongoing process that doesn’t end until we reach our heavenly home. We study the Bible, hear from God, and listen to godly teachers/preachers (who still must look into God’s Word and learn). Our roots will go deeper with the instruction we are willing to receive and put into practice. The fruit produced is the proof of a life surrendered to Christ and striving to fulfill our purpose.