The Roots of the Righteous Proverbs 12:3

No one is made secure in wickedness, but the roots of the righteous will never be moved.  Proverbs 12:3 CJB

I read this verse the other day and it really struck me. I thought…come on…never moved? Bet me! Then I thought about it some more. It does not say that the “tree” will never be moved…just the “roots”.

Sometimes, our lives can cause us to feel as if our toots are being undercut and we are barely hanging on. Yet…we ARE hanging on. We are stubbornly still clinging to the ground and standing upright…kind of like this tree. The storms of life keep trying to attack our roots and pull us down, but we are clinging to the Lord, who keeps us standing.  Some of these roots are expose…but they are still there! They have not been moved.

Then there are the times in life when we are hit so hard that we are knocked down. But we are not out for the count. Just like in this tree, the roots are still there and we simply begin growing in a new direction. Although the tree was knocked down, the roots actually still held. The trunk started to grow upward, even though it is still aimed down off the roots. It refused to just lay down and give up. The roots are still there.

Then we have this other scenario. Something comes along and just wraps itself around us as if attempting to choke the life and growth out of us. So, what do we do? We just keep right on growing, even in the midst of life’s “stuff” trying to choke us out. The roots hold strong…they are not being moved.

Ever seen a tree that has been chopped down and there off the stump is a new trunk emerging? Even when the ax is taken to the tree…the roots are still there. Life can come at us, chopping us to bits…or so it seems. Yet, our roots are still there. When it is all said and done, we can raise back up. We can grow again. We can start anew…because the roots are still there.

We will never be secure in wickedness. Why? Because wickedness is like a rottenness that eats at our bones. It really does destroy our roots. It rots us from the inside core outward. Rotted roots cannot grow…cannot resprout. Only a miracle of forgiveness and healing from the Creator can cause new growth to happen.

So, the question is…what are you rooted in? Are you rooted in wickedness? Or, are you rooted in righteousness? Do you serve yourself? Or do you serve your Creator?