Giant sunflowers are amazing plants! No sooner does the seedling begin its upward journey of growth that the plant sends a taproot down into the soil. This taproot will continue to grow beyond its bundle of shallower roots throughout the sunflower’s life. It works its way ever downward into the soil, veering to the side from time to time to work around rocks, hard soil, or other obstacles.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Hebrews 11:1-3, ESV

Thanks to this hidden taproot, sunflowers are stable, hearty, and drought resistant. The taproot often grows longer than the height of the plant itself, making sunflowers sturdy in windy conditions and hard to uproot.

Other plants in the vicinity may wither in dry conditions, but the sunflower’s taproot will penetrate to a deeper water source, causing the plant to continue to thrive despite adverse conditions.

They are able to grow into tall, impressive flowers that amaze us as their gaze unwaveringly follows the sun across the sky day after day.

God’s design for sunflowers mirrors the role of faith in our spiritual lives. While not visible to the naked eye, our faith is strongest when it goes deep and continues to grow.

No faith journey is without obstacles and hardships, but our taproot of faith should continue to press onward, finding its way around these impediments, even if it means veering in a direction that appears at first to be off course.

Our taproot of faith helps us to be hearty and drought resistant. Surely times will come our way when we are lonely, discouraged, and fed up with our circumstances. Sometimes it seems like everything happens at once, and nothing turns out the way we planned.

But a solid, deep faith transcends these hardships and assures that we will weather whatever life throws our way. A Christian with a deep faith will experience a peace that comes from God and passes all understanding (See Philippians 4:7), while others wither under hardship.

In Hebrews 11, we read about the faith of Biblical patriarchs, prophets, and servants. Their faith was solid and strengthened through adversity, sometimes even unto death.

Each carried within the hope of the coming Messiah and the longing for heaven. Like these strong Biblical forbearers, and like the towering sunflower, our taproots must go deep, and our unwavering gaze should ever be upon the Son.