Tapped In

Tapped In

The fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren’t feeding the root; the root is feeding you.

Romans 11:18 (THE MESSAGE)

Even when the air is still cold and the days are dim, good things come from nature. In early spring, sap begins flowing from maple trees. With the chilly nights, water from the soil is absorbed into the maple trees. During the day, the rising temperature creates pressure that pushes the water back down to the bottom of the trees, making it easy to collect the precious maple sap. The sap is gathered over twelve to twenty days, usually between early March and late April, depending on the region.

In the Northeast, many Amish farms have maple trees, and they are tapped for sap. It takes twenty-five to sixty gallons of raw sap to make one gallon of pure maple syrup. As you can imagine, this requires many labor-intensive hours.

When we look at a tree, we are drawn to its trunk, branches, and leaves, but without the sap feeding it all, there is no life. During maple syrup season, each tree can be tapped one to three times, but each tapping draws only 7 percent of the sap from the tree. There is still plenty of sap left to feed the tree.

As Christians, we have a holy root feeding us. When we are connected to God, our souls are nourished, and we grow. When Jesus is our root, we can be sustained even when others “sap” our strength. We have no worry of withering and dying because Jesus is a never-ending supply of strength, peace, and relationship.

What things are drawing your strength from you? They might even be good things, like ministry, family, or friends. If you sink into Jesus, you will have enough life and nourishment to share with others.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for being my holy root and for feeding my soul. I’m feeling empty today, Lord. Fill me up to overflowing so I can feed others.