One. Rooted in Righteousness

Psalm 1 (ESV)

1 Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

It is perfect timing, of course, that I have been reading “Point Man” by Steve Farrar while beginning this blog. The book is written for men and discusses the fact that spiritual warfare has been declared against men. The enemy focuses mainly husbands and fathers. If you take the man down, the family tends to fall with him. Statistics prove it. About halfway through the book, there is a section of the book called “Anorexic Men and Their Bulimic Cousins.” I will likely be referencing the meat and potatoes of that metaphor in the near future.

Today I want to focus on being rooted in righteousness. Psalm 1 describes the difference between an obedient man in contrast with the wicked. Steve Farrar references Psalm 1 using verse 3 as a description of people who are rooted in righteousness. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers”. In the book he goes into more detail about what this means.

He says,

“We can only look at the part of the tree that is above the ground. But the amazing thing about such a tree is what is underground. The reason such a tree is so large and impressive is that width and breadth of its root system.

That’s precisely the point the writer makes in Psalm 1. A man who wants to be spiritually mature must put his roots deep in the Word of God. Growth comes no other way. No wonder the enemy tries to keep us from the Word.

I grew up in a home with an oak tree right in the middle of the house. It wasn’t a red oak, a black oak, or even a white oak. It’s the kind of oak described in Isaiah 61:3 [“that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”], and it’s called an oak of righteousness. I’m referring to my dad.

Please note that I didn’t call him an oak of perfection. But in my opinion, he is an oak of righteousness.”

And so, the next obvious thought for any one of us is this:

Would someone be able to describe me in that way? In a time of hurricane force winds are my roots strong enough to keep me upright? Are my roots deep enough to survive times of despair or depression? Are my roots absorbing a constant meal that brings is revealed by the fruit of my works? Are my roots a good example to those around me? Am I a solid figure for my friends and family to rely on and look up to?

And if the answer is a big fat N-O…. or even an uncertain maybe… what can we do about it?

Well in order for our roots to deepen they need to find the nutrients in the soil. The nutrients are the scriptures. The Word of God. We need to increase the frequency in which we read scripture, but also the duration in which we read scripture. How can we expect to deepen ourselves in scripture if we only read it once or twice a week? Or maybe for some of you, once or twice a year. How can we expect to deepen ourselves in scripture if we only read it for 5 minutes, put it away, and then our thoughts move back to things of the world? How can we expect to live a life of righteousness if we don’t let scripture point the way?

The more we read God’s word, the more we learn the will of God. Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”

When Paul describes putting on “The Whole Armor of God” in Ephesians Ch 6, it is no mistake that the only offensive piece of the whole wardrobe is the Sword of The Spirit – The Word of God.

We read in Matthew Ch 4 that every time Jesus is tempted by the devil his response is always “It is written…” To each temptation Jesus is using scripture to push back and conquer evil.

Is being rooted in scripture enough to be rooted in righteousness? I would say no. It is not enough. Steve Farrar agrees. Shortly after calling his dad an “oak of righteousness”, he says this:

“There are two mistakes we can make in our desire to be spiritual self-starter [a man in good spiritual shape]:

Emphasize Scripture without prayer;

Emphasize prayer without scripiture.

We need both the right diet and the right exercise. Prayer and Scripture go together, and we are most effective when we have a good balance of the two. The man who studies the Bible without praying will develop a good mind with a cold heart. The man who prays without knowing Scripture will consistently pray outside the will of God, for that is where His will is revealed. The balance is critical to standing firm in spiritual battle.”

Prayer is not only communication with God, but it is being obedient to God.

Jesus teaches us how to pray in Matthew Ch 6. It begins with “And when you pray….”. There is no mistaking that Jesus did not leave any room for there to not be prayer. “And WHEN you pray”, says the Son of God.

What did Jesus do right before he was betrayed and tortured? He prayed. If Jesus prayed, who are we to not be praying? Matthew 26

In good times and in your worst times – pray. Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

In the same verse of Ephesians that describes the Sword of the Spirit being scripture, it is immediately followed with, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:18.

Prayer can be another form of renewing your mind constantly. We have an almighty God. Capable of anything. The great physician. The Creator of the earth. Why would we not come to him in thanks, for repentance, and when in need? He is the almighty! Let him work on your heart through opening it up to him in prayer.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Here is what I notice about myself when I am reading scripture and praying together routinely.

1.      The scripture reminds me that there is a God who is almighty.

2.      The scripture reminds me of what is right and wrong and justice will be served.

3.      The scripture reminds me that God is in control and my role is to be an obedient servant.

4.      Prayer reminds me that God wants me to draw near to him and talk with him

5.      Prayer reminds me that my burdens are nothing compared to what an almighty God can do.

6.      Prayer reminds me to be thankful that God has chosen to bless me when he didn’t have to.

7.      Prayer reminds me to seek forgiveness when I fail as a sinner AND that if I can be forgiven, I should forgive others who have wronged me.

8.      Reading and prayer leave me feeling filled with the Holy Spirit and temptations seem easier to manage.

9.      Reading and prayer leave me feeling closer to God and further from darkness.

10.  When I do both I am focusing on obedience and letting God handle the fruits of his Glory.

Steve Ferrar quotes Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

“If he [Satan] causes us to neglect the reading and studying ‘of the Word, and the understanding of the Word, it will suit him admirably. If he causes us to neglect praying we shall faint, and in that condition become easy and obvious prey…’ if you really believe that just to read a few verses and a short comment ‘on them in a matter of five minutes, and to have a brief word of prayer, is adequate for your day, then I say that you do not know anything about the wiles of the  devil. That is not the New Testament; that has not been the verdict of the saints throughout the centuries. But a superficial spirituality imagines that is enough--- “I have had my quiet time”’ not aware of any stagnation in the soul, not aware of a lack of growth, not aware of an appalling superficiality.”

Brilliantly said. If our roots are to drive deep and support an oak of righteousness, they have to be immersed in good soil. Taking in nutrients that sustain further growth. Gripping onto what is good so that the tree can withstand the storms. Producing a trunk that can then be used by God to grow branches that will eventually yield the fruit – God’s glory in everything we do.

If you need to become more rooted in righteousness, here are my suggestions.

Wake up earlier each day to read scripture and pray if your daily schedule is too demanding to fit it in elsewhere. It is worth every part of the pain at the sound of the alarm clock.

Pray during your drive to school or work. Keep the radio off and spend that whole time with God.

Listen to someone read the scripture out loud during your drive to school or work.

Pray before every meal.

Pray with your family and/or friends when you are together.

Pray before you go to bed.

Change your listening habits from meaningless radio or music to listening to respectable men of God teaching the bible.

It is all about deliberately using your time to be productive in your spiritual growth. Renew your mind every chance you get. Root yourself. Become the oak of righteousness.

God Bless and Have a good week!