Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. … Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, beause the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. … The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it. But it does not sink deep into them, and they don’t last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.  [Matthew 13:3,5-6,20-21 (GNT)]

We’ve had several storms with high winds and yet the corn stands strong and tall in the fields. With such a thin stalk, I wondered how it could grow so high without being bent and battered by the severe weather. Looking down at the base of the stalk, I noticed several little roots growing into the soil. Corn has two sets of roots that can reach as deep as six to seven feet in the ground. The little roots above the ground are called brace roots. Not only do they help take up water and nutrients from the soil but they also provide support for the seven-foot plant. Lack of enough brace roots might not harm corn in absolutely perfect growing conditions, but the plant won’t survive adverse conditions such as drought or high winds without them.

Seeing the corn’s brace roots reminded me of Jesus’ farming parable in Matthew. I thought about the seed that was unable to develop deep roots. Without deep roots, the seed couldn’t survive harsh conditions. It’s easy to be like that seed: we attend church more or less regularly and read a few devotions, but we don’t dig deep into God’s word to take in His strength. We’re fine as long as everything goes smoothly and the conditions are ideal. When adversity comes (and we all know it eventually will), we lose faith; there will be nothing to harvest because survival is impossible without strong roots. It’s not enough for us to simply hear God’s word; we need to absorb it into our lives and use it for spiritual nourishment and support. When we do that, like the corn, we’ll develop brace roots that will keep us standing tall and strong during the droughts and storms of life.

Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him. Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving. [Colossians 2:6-7 (GNT)]