day no. 14,913: strong... and needy

Oak trees are notoriously strong. They are tall and sturdy. But they are also very needy. Their elaborate, unseen root systems suck up upwards of 50 gallons of water per day and the more stately and dignified they are to the naked eye, the more needy they are behind their tough exterior. Their strength is a product of their unseen neediness. An uprooted oak tree may expose its root system, but it is unable to benefit from its roots. They are meant to be hidden and exposing them in that manner renders them unable to perform a supportive function. Oak wood cabinets and floors are beautiful and strong and... dead. They have no life left in them. They are no longer living. Their toughness remains, but their life has evaporated. 

If you only had 1 and 2 Samuel, you would believe David was a hardwood floor of a man. Strong, resilient and no weakness anywhere to be seen. If you only had Psalms, you would believe David was an uprooted oak with exposes roots wilting and shriveling under the weight of living. But David was both. He was strong... and he was needy. His great need produced great strength. His hidden dependency produced observable mettle. 

God calls us to be strong and needy. However, our neediness is meant to communicated in ways the preserve our need. It can become fashionable in Christian circles to show off your roots, forgetting that exposing yourself in that fashion cuts you off from the source of life. That brand of neediness is meant to feed off the praise and adoration of others and dries up quickly. True, godly neediness knows that it needs God and is willing to invite people to know that, but isn't rushing to pull up its roots in order to validate their authenticity.