Nick reminds us of what it is to be unseen and overlooked. A place deeply precious to God.
Throughout scripture of accounts of those trained, matured and anointed in private, not public. Like the Shepard Tree which survives the harshest summers in the Kalahari because it’s roots grow down further than any tree.
Prioritizing downward growth over above ground growth. It’s leaves are nourishment and medicinal. Are we comparing our roots growing to other’s visible trees? Hiddenness is not rejection, it is preparation for times ahead. Underground work becomes visible strength.
We trust you would be encouraged if you are in a season of feeling unseen that you would submit to God, lean into and embrace growth.
The summary of this message has been drafted automatically from the transcript. Its accuracy may vary.
Rooted Before Rising: The Secret Growth of the Shepherd Tree
By Nicholas Graham.
Today is a profound milestone for Freedom House. We have been a community for seven years. We’ve met in bars, in treehouses, and in houses. For a long time, the cry of our hearts was: “Lord, there is so much life here, but where is the growth?”
In hindsight, God has provided the answer through a picture from the African bush.
The Miracle of the Shepherd Tree
There is a tree in Africa known as the Shepherd Tree (Boscia albitrunca), or more commonly, the Tree of Life.
The Shepherd Tree is a biological anomaly. It grows in the harshest, most arid conditions of the Kalahari. While most trees race to grow upward to catch the sun, the Shepherd Tree spends years—sometimes decades—growing downward.
Its roots have been found to go deeper than 60 meters (nearly 200 feet) into the earth. It bypasses the surface moisture and taps into ancient, deep-water aquifers that never run dry. By the time you see a small green shoot above the ground, there is a massive, unshakable foundation beneath it.
God Grows Things “Backwards”
Our culture is obsessed with acceleration, performance metrics, and visibility. But the Kingdom of God often grows in the opposite direction:
- We want acceleration; God wants foundations.
- We want visibility; God trains us in obscurity.
- We look for visible fruit; God looks for invisible roots.
If you feel unseen right now—if you feel like you’ve been “stuck” in a hidden season—do not despise it. God hasn’t forgotten you; He is anchoring you. He is building a root system that can survive the droughts and storms that topple “faster” trees.
The Biblical Pattern of the Hidden Season
God never puts a man or woman on a platform until He has first dealt with their foundations in the dirt. We see this pattern throughout Scripture:
- Joseph: Had deep roots in a prison before he ever had influence in a palace.
- Moses: Spent 40 years in the desert as a shepherd before 40 years of leading a nation.
- David: Killed lions and bears in total obscurity before he ever faced Goliath in public.
- Jesus: Spent 30 hidden years preparing for three years of revealed ministry.
If the Son of God submitted to a hidden season, so can we.
Foundations over Facades
As we move into this new season at Freedom House, we are going to see acceleration. We are going to see growth. But we must hold to the Plumb Line: Jesus must remain at the center.
We are not building a facade or a performance platform. We are building a community rooted in nutrition, not just numbers. As a community, we’ve adopted two guiding phrases:
- “Low and Slow” (Going deep into His presence before moving fast).
- “Consistent faithfulness in the same direction.”
If the root is holy, the fruit will last.
— Romans 11:16
Healing for the Nations
Because the Shepherd Tree taps into such deep wells, its leaves and bark become highly concentrated with medicinal properties. They are used to heal.
We believe this is the prophetic destiny for Freedom House and for your individual life. Because you have been forced to go deep—because you have survived the “dry seasons” by tapping into the Word and the Spirit—your life will carry a “nutritional density” that heals others.
The leaves of your tree shall be for the healing of the nations.
Are You in a Root-Building Season?
Ask yourself these three questions this week:
- Am I frustrated by being unseen? (Remember: Hiddenness is not rejection; it is preparation.)
- Am I comparing my “roots” to someone else’s “visible tree”? (Focus on your own foundation.)
- Am I tapping into the deep water? (Is your strength coming from the surface or from a deep life of prayer and the Word?)
