The Fine Print: Part 1-Rooted in the Promise
- Aug 4
- 5 min read
Buried things still grow.
Hey friend, Welcome to Week One of our Rooted series.
Over the next four weeks, we’re going to examine our roots. And I mean really look at what’s underground—the hidden places. The places we often ignore but that carry the weight of everything we produce.
The Lord placed it heavy on my heart that in this season, shallow won’t cut it. Not in your faith. Not in your love. Not in your reverence. We need to be rooted—deeply—in the holy fear of a holy God.
What does that mean?
I’m so glad you asked.
It means it’s time to check the soil of our hearts. Time to ask: Is there anything contaminating my roots? Things that make us take the holiness of God lightly?
Because listen—grace is not a license to drift. It’s a call to come closer.
This isn’t about legalism. It’s about honor.
Think about it: when the President walks into a room, people stand. Not because they agree with everything he’s done—but because of the office he holds. That’s honor.
Or imagine you’re at a wedding. The bride walks in—and what happens? Everyone stands. Not because someone forced them to, but because the moment is sacred. The room responds accordingly.
Now think about a courtroom. A judge enters, and the entire room rises. Silence falls. Why? Because the judge holds authority. And whether you like the verdict or not, the posture of the room changes to reflect the weight of the one who entered.
If we can show this kind of reverence to a president, a bride, or a judge— how much more should we respond to the presence of a holy, righteous, all-powerful God?
This isn’t about performing for religion’s sake. It’s about posturing your heart to say: “God, I don’t treat You like common. I revere You. I bow—not just with my body, but with my life.”
We don’t just need Scripture to inspire us—we need it to transform us. And we cannot speak the truth boldly if we’re still filtering it through fear of opinion or cultural pressure.
Friend, it’s time to take God’s Word for what it is—living, active, sharp, and true. Not watered down. Not rebranded for comfort. Just... spoken. As. It. Is. Because it is written.
Listen, I know this might be hard to hear!
It’s time to come back to integrity with God.
Not picking and choosing verses like a playlist, but saying,
“Lord, I want all of Your Word—whether it corrects me or comforts me.”
I’m praying for all of us—that we don’t just read the Word, but truly hear the voice of our loving Father speaking through it, drawing us deeper.
📖 Isaiah 11:1 — “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
Let’s unpack this.
Before we talk about what grows, we need to acknowledge what was cut down.
A tree doesn’t stand because of one root. It survives and bears fruit because of a root system—a whole network beneath the surface working together to hold it up.
So ask yourself: What’s in my system?
What truths, habits, fears, or beliefs are feeding your foundation?
Because whatever is hidden in the roots will eventually show up in the fruit.
And before that shoot rises—before you bear fruit—you’ve got to deal with the stump moments, the seasons that feel dry, cut off, or overlooked.
The Promise Beneath the Surface
Isaiah 11:1 is not just a poetic verse—it’s a prophetic one. The “stump of Jesse” refers to the royal family line of King David. By the time Isaiah wrote this, that lineage was politically dead. No king. No glory. No throne.
But God wasn't done.
Out of what looked like ruin, He promised a Branch—a Person—would rise. That Person is Jesus, the Messiah. From Jesse’s roots—roots, not branches—a new life would break through.
That’s what God does.
When it looks like nothing’s left, He reveals what’s still alive underneath.
So if you’ve been in a season where it feels like everything has been chopped down, here’s the fine print truth: What looks dead to man is still alive to God.
When Life Looks Cut Down
We’ve all had stump seasons. Seasons where prayers seemed unanswered. Where things got stripped down to the base. Where everything you built or believed for looked like it wasn’t going to make it.
But hear me—a stump is not the end.
If the root remains, the promise is still alive.
God doesn’t forget what He planted in you. He doesn’t cancel covenants because of delay. Just like Isaiah prophesied that a shoot would rise from Jesse’s stump—He’s still speaking life over you.
Real Life, Real Roots
Maybe your stump is a broken relationship. Maybe it’s a lost opportunity. Maybe it’s a calling you put down because the door didn’t open in your timing.
Can I tell you something?
Buried things still grow.
Just because you don’t see it on the surface doesn’t mean God isn’t working underground. He’s developing you. Deepening you. Quietly preparing something that will bear fruit in its season.
But you have to be rooted.
Not in your emotions. Not in social media Christianity. But in the living, breathing Word of God.
✨ Call to Action: “Lord, Help Me Go Deeper”
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, Zee, I get it. My foundation has been shallow. I know who I am in Christ, but something’s still blocking me from going deeper…”
Friend, you’re not alone.
Maybe you’ve believed for years but never felt anchored. Maybe you read the Word, but it doesn’t always reach your roots. You want to trust God’s Word as final—no more second-guessing, no more “maybe God said not yet”. You want to hear His voice for yourself. You want to carry His Word with confidence—not confusion.
If that’s you, here’s your prayer: “Lord, I want to be rooted. I want to hear You. I want to carry what You’ve given me with boldness. Help me.”
🗝️ Let this Scripture guide you:
Jeremiah 15:16 (NLT) “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.”
That’s it right there.
Let that be your cry: Lord, I want to devour Your Word. I want it to be my joy. My delight. I want to carry it with weight—because I bear Your name.
✅ Your Next Step This Week
Pray Jeremiah 15:16 out loud every morning. Speak it like it’s your personal declaration.
Write down one thing each day that’s contaminating your soil—and replace it with truth from the Word.
Ask God to show you what’s been blocking your roots. Be willing to let Him dig deep.
Because roots don’t grow in comfort. They grow in surrender. They grow when you say—Jesus, I need You to help me carry what You’ve spoken.
Prayer for Week One
Father, I don’t want shallow faith. I don’t want surface-level truth. I want to be rooted in You. Pull up everything in me that’s contaminating my soil. Clean my heart. Clear the ground. Help me to honor You with reverence, not just routine. Remind me that Your promises don’t die when things look bare. You are the God who brings shoots from stumps and fruit from broken places. Make me steady, grounded, and full of holy fear.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Coming Next: Rooted in the Spirit
📖 Isaiah 11:2 — “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him...”
Next week, we’ll move from what’s been promised to what’s been poured out.
We’ll look at the Spirit that rested on Jesus—the fullness of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord—and how that same Spirit is available to us now.
But before we get there, let this week settle in. Let the Word take root. Let the ground be broken. God’s not afraid of the dirt—He’s the One who planted you there.
Stay rooted. Stay grounded. The shoot is coming.
