Proverbs 12.2-3,12
“A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices he condemns. No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved … Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit.”
The foundation on which we build our lives is like a root system that provides stability and nourishment for everything we do. This is The Law of Roots and Fruit: belief determines behavior, character and courage determine conduct, habits of the heart determine habits of action, and who we are determines what we do. Roots determine fruit.
Life change happens from the roots upward, not from the fruit downward. To redirect habits of behavior we must reshape habits of the heart.
Behavior
Conduct
Habits of Action
————————————
Belief
Character
Habits of the Heart
In order to live and work at our best, we must cultivate our lives “below ground.” This is what Proverbs means by “the root of the righteous.” Like a tree or a plant, the strength and health of our roots determine what kind of fruit we will bear. If our root system is strong, not only will we bear much fruit, we will also be steadfast, strong, and resilient in the midst of the storms that life will throw at us. But if our roots are shallow and weak, we will be tossed about and even destroyed when storms hit.
As Proverbs says, the wicked operate from a weak, shallow foundation: “No one is established by wickedness.” The Hebrew word for “established” is yikkon, and it means “firm, steady, secure, anchored.” The contrast is clear: people who reject God’s truth and embrace wickedness have no anchor; those that trust in Christ have a strong, secure anchor.
Psalm 1 also describes this contrast.
Of the godly man it says: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 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.”
Of the wicked it says: “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”
Psalm 1 makes a final statement about the very different destinies of the righteous versus the wicked: “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
Our relationship with God is the foundation for everything in life. God is the source of our identity and purpose. He is the source of truth and moral standards. He created us and defines us. We are not defined by our circumstances, nor by our job, nor by our possessions or position in society. We are defined by who we are in Christ.
Apart from Christ, there is not foundation. Apart from Christ, we cannot bear fruit that lasts. We will examine that truth tomorrow.
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.“ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
