Have you ever noticed bushes and trees growing on the side of rocky hill? It is amazing that some plants can grow in just a small amount of dirt. It is even more amazing that they can grow as big as they sometimes get.
Those plants do not have very deep roots. If they were growing in normal depth soil, they would be able to send their roots deep into the ground. However, since they are growing in shallow soil, they have very short roots. These short roots do not keep them secure in the ground. If a strong wind blows, it can cause the roots to pull out of the ground and the plant falls over and dies. Because the soil is not deep, there is not much water available for the plant. When the sun shines and is hot for any length of time, the plant may wither and die from lack of moisture.
Jesus says that there are some people like these plants. In Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21; Mark 4: 5-6, 16-17 and Luke 8:6,13, Jesus talks about these people. He says some people hear the Word of God and receive it. They accept it with joy and begin to grow in faith. They give the appearance of being healthy Christians, but they make their spiritual heart a heart of shallow soil. They do not send their spiritual root deep. Then when life gets tough or there is a crisis, their root is torn up, or they wither and die spiritually.
It is necessary to study and find deep soil. The Word of God, the Bible, has what you need to make rich, deep soil. Then you must send your spiritual root deep into that soil. Only by being rooted and grounded properly can you withstand the heat and winds of life that will challenge your faith.
Study your Bible. Learn all you can from it. Do not be a rootless plant. Send your root deep into the rich soil of God’s word, and if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
