It’s all about the roots. We often miss that. Well, I’m starting in the middle of things. Let’s go back to the beginning.
Welcome to a short series we’re calling Summer Psalms. Today, we’re considering Psalm One. “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.” (Psalm 1, CSB)
The Psalmist describes two paths: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. The way of the righteous is grounded or rooted in meditating constantly on God’s Word. From that root, the righteous refuse to walk in the advice of the wicked, go with sinners, or sit with mockers. The result is like a fruitful tree with deep roots. The way of the wicked results in a chaff-like life. Dried, rootless, and blown about by every breath of the world, the flesh, or evil.
So often, we strive after fruit when we should be striving for roots. When we get caught up in performance Christianity, we ultimately fail. Let’s define that a bit. Performance Christianity is about the show, whether it is behavior management, focusing on doing things, or being noticed. Performance Christianity accounts for righteousness based on fruit. If you have something that seems like fruit (according to some standard), then you must be okay. It’s all outward and more people-focused than God-focused.
The Psalmist reminds us that roots come before fruit. When we root into God’s Word, we get to know Him and He us. We may appear fruitless to some but notice that the Psalmist says that rooted folks bear fruit in season. We don’t have to worry about our fruit; it will grow at the right time and for the right reasons.
Jesus, after reminding His audience that good fruit doesn’t come from bad trees, said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’” (Matthew 7:21–23, CSB). They did all the “right” things, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was knowing Jesus and being known by Him.
The way of righteousness is this – grow roots in God’s Word. The storms of life may rustle your leaves, but they won’t be able to uproot you. Grow roots, and you will produce fruit for the Kingdom. Those roots will guide your life choices; they will keep you from following the whispers of the wicked, the path of sinners, or the feel-good company of mockers. Do we do Christian things with intentionality? Things like sharing the Gospel, being generous, making disciples, serving, fleeing from sin, and loving God and others? Emphatically, yes. But our first intentional choice must be the self-shattering choice to root ourselves in Christ and His Word. Otherwise, we are just dust in the wind.
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