We have a gnarled, ancient plum tree in our backyard that has seen better days. Its bark is dark and creased with age, its limbs are sparse and spindly, and it leans about 45 degrees to the west. Two years ago I had to cut off some branches on one side and the tree lost its symmetry.

I thought we had lost it for sure several winters ago when we had a stretch of sub-zero weather. The man who sprays our trees said he believed it was dead. Yet it came to life that spring and continues to do so every year.

Each April that old tree shrugs off the winter and puts out blossoms—fragrant pink flowers that grow profusely and beautify our yard. As I write this article, I can smell its sweetness in the air.
That plum tree endures because it has roots that tap deep into the soil. It draws its strength and nourishment from hidden subterranean sources.

And so it is with us. Our ability to endure—no, to flourish-is dependent on our being rooted in Christ. Those who read His Word, reflect on it, and pray it into their lives bring forth the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), even into old age. As Psalm 92:14 says, "They shall be fresh and flourishing."
  — David H. Roper