By Shawn Blackmon
Have you ever planted something and checked on it the very next day, expecting to see growth?
Maybe it was a flower bed. Maybe it was a new diet. Maybe it was a dream God placed in your heart.
You put in the work. You did the right things. You waited. And nothing seemed to happen. The truth is, some of the most important growth in life happens where nobody can see it. Before a tree grows upward, it grows downward. Before fruit appears on the branches, roots are developing beneath the surface. That’s the frustrating thing about roots. Nobody celebrates them.
People admire the fruit. They compliment the flowers. They notice the success. But nobody stops and says, “Look at those amazing roots!” Yet the roots are what make everything else possible.
King David understood this when he wrote: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” (Psalm 1:1)
Notice the progression: walk, stand, sit. Nobody drifts away from God overnight. It begins with small compromises. One conversation. One influence. One decision. One step in the wrong direction. The roots of your future are being formed by the choices you’re making today. That’s why David continues: “But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)
Healthy faith isn’t built by avoiding bad things alone. It is built by feeding on the right things. You can’t survive spiritually on a quick social media clip, an occasional prayer, or one church service every now and then. Just as your body needs nourishment, your spirit needs God’s Word. Your roots grow where they’re fed.
David then gives us the result of a healthy root system: “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season.” (Psalm 1:3)
Notice he doesn’t say storms won’t come. He doesn’t say hard seasons won’t happen. He doesn’t say life will always be easy. Rooted people still experience heartbreak, disappointment, pressure, and loss. The difference isn’t the storm. The difference is the roots.
Some of you have survived seasons that should have broken you. Not because you were lucky. Not because life was fair. But because while nobody was watching, God was deepening your roots. While you were praying, your roots were growing. While you were waiting, your roots were growing. While you were trusting God through uncertainty, your roots were growing. What the enemy meant to uproot, God used to strengthen. So don’t get discouraged if growth seems slow.
God often works underground before He works above ground. Before promotion comes roots. Before influence comes roots. Before fruit comes roots.
This week, ask yourself: What am I rooted in? What am I feeding my mind? What is shaping my heart? What is influencing my decisions? Because eventually what is happening underground will show up above ground. And if your roots are deep, your fruit will last.
Let’s Pray: Father, thank You for the work You are doing in my life, even when I cannot see it. Help me to stay rooted in Your Word, grounded in Your truth, and connected to Your presence. When seasons of waiting come, give me the faith to trust that You are still working beneath the surface. Strengthen my roots so that I can withstand every storm, every trial, and every challenge that comes my way. Let my life produce fruit that honors You and blesses those around me. May my faith grow deeper, my trust grow stronger, and my walk with You become more steadfast each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Walk in grace. Stand in truth. Live blessed.
Pastor Shawn Blackmon serves as the Lead Pastor of UNITY Church in Attalla, Alabama, where his preaching is real, relevant and rooted in the unchanging Word of God. Beyond the pulpit, he serves as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Alabama, leading life-changing mentoring initiatives that empower young people across five counties.
