Day Seventeen- Have Your Roots Decayed?

“The royal line of David will be cut off, chopped down like a tree; A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
 the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord--
 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1-3
 
Outside our home we have a beautiful oak tree. Every fall I love to watch as my kids play in the leaves, making piles and jumping in the leaves that fall above. It gives us great shade and is a wonderful look to our outside. However, last spring, my husband noticed a branch that was discolored from the rest. That lifeless branch has stopped producing leaves, which indicates the inside is decaying. This fall, more branches are turning that same lifeless color, letting us know we have to cut the tree down before it becomes dangerous to our children and our home as the next major storm may prove too much for the decayed tree.
 
It never ceases to amaze me the depth of God’s grace with his people. It says in chapter 10 verse 12 of Isaiah that “after the Lord has used King Assyria to accomplish his purpose, then he will turn upon the Assyrians and punish them too—for they are proud and haughty men.” David started out with good intentions. He had a heart set on following God and following his decrees. But the wealth and prestige as his position as king hardened his heart. Soon it became easier for his thoughts to stray from godly ones to selfish, sinful ones and soon his heart followed. God knew he had to cut him off before his actions posed a danger to those under David’s rule.
 
God, being both a God of justice and mercy, allowed David his time, but soon had to cut him off, chopping him down like a tree whose roots had rotted. On the outside, the tree may look fine, but on the inside the roots have rotted, making them useless against trying to be the support to give the tree the life giving food it needs. David on the outside looked like he ruled with God by his side, but God knew better. His roots had rotted, too, rendering him useless to accomplishing his work as king.
 
What about your roots? Are you rooted in God’s word and attached to him through prayer, or have they rotted away from the ways of this world?