“For you to bear abundant, enduring fruit, God needs to make you bigger on the inside than you are on the outside. You have to let Him build your root system in secret before He leads you into making visible impact in the world.” – Banning Liebscher
As Banning Liebscher continues Chapter 1 of Rooted, he underscores what a plant needs to survive, much less bear fruit. For a plant to thrive, its root system must take up more space underground than the visible plant takes above ground. Similarly, your heart represents your point of connection with Jesus. It’s in you heart where your relationship with Him becomes rooted.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus wants to develop His heart-to-heart connection with you to the point where you:
- become fully united with Him
- think like He thinks
- speak like He speaks
- do what He does
- remain in Him, producing fruit that lasts
Most noteworthy, Banning observes, if you study those people in Scripture with a lasting impact, you’ll find God led them through a season of preparation. Thus, examples include Joseph (thirteen years), Moses (forty years), David (seventeen to twenty years), and Jesus (thirty years). Of course, Jesus’ ministry is without parallel.
However, Pastor Liebscher considers King David’s unique for two reasons. Because of:
- his incredible legacy
- the depth of iinsight the Bible gives us into how God established roots in David’s life.
Furthermore, Banning looks at David as a prototype of New Testament believers. In particular, that results from David’s unique intimacy with God as well as his understanding of God’s desire for a pure heart more than “sacrifice and offering” (Psalm 40:6).
Yet, all this fruit gets traced back to a single, defining moment. That moment? – when Samuel showed up at Jesse’s house to anoint David the next king of Israel. From that point on, God began to build David’s roots. Hence, Pastor Liebscher explores this in detail throughout the rest of Rooted.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help(ed) you reach the point of bearing abundanat, enduring fruit? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Pursuing God’s call – how strong you finish”
