Fruit and Roots

I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below. Amos 2:9

What is it in your life that God is seeking to destroy? If you are His child, it would be anything that hinders you from having a close, intimate relationship with Him. I have come to realize that EVERY Christian faces their own mix of strongholds, addictions, perversions, and habits that need God’s destructive touch on them. These are usually the areas of our life that no one else knows about but they have the ability to torment us. God’s intent is to first shed light on that area and then proceed to destroy the fruit and the root.

The “fruit” would be what is being produced. It is the outward bi-product of my internal world. The more I feed this part of me, legitimize its presence, embrace it and hold on to it, the more fruit it will produce. This morning, God’s Word assures me of the destruction of that fruit. While I may have to live with the consequences of choices I have made in the past God’s intent is to produce new fruit.

But surface cosmetics is not going to change what is within me. It is only as God reveals the root system and source of my fruit bearing that He can begin working in that area as well with the intent of actually destroying the roots. What is it I am attached to that keeps feeding the worst parts of me? It may be an attitude, an action, a false belief, a fear, or any number of other things. God’s answer is always to get to the heart of the issue…the very starting point! He is good at helping us to wade through the cobwebs and entanglements of our life to reveal the roots.

God’s “destructive” work begins when I finally come to Him and am ready to walk in truth. To stand before Him in full acceptance of His searching. It often starts with the simple question, “God, why am I like this? Why am I doing and saying these things? Where is this all coming from?” When we ask from a genuine heart He begins the process of probing, uncovering, and disclosing our root system. Every wrong thing in me can be traced back to a faulty root system of lies, deception, and misinformation. I can trust Him to expose and destroy the smallest, deepest roots in me.

Father, You are in the process of exposing the real problems and issues. Your gentleness astounds me. May I cooperate with You as You destroy the harmful fruit and roots of my life. Amen.