Many years ago as a very young man I had one potted plant. It was given to me and it went through the move each August to college and then May back to wherever I was working. What made this plant memorable is how hearty it was.
It was a very strong plant even surviving a 25 foot drop during a very windy summer rain storm. As I was picking up that plant and getting it back in order the reason it was such a healthy plant was obvious. The soil was rich and the plant had rooted itself deeply in that soil.
Returning to Psalm 1 the writer is comparing the person who is righteous and the person who is wicked. The righteous will not walk with the wicked, stand with sinners or sit with those who ridicule.
It then says the righteous will delight in God’s word and meditate on it daily and nightly. That person is like a tree planted by the waters that yields fruit in its season.
My plant was no tree but it was so very strong. It had very rich soil to sustain it and it was deeply rooted in that soil.
This is the visual the writer of Psalm 1 is making here. Being close to Jesus is not just an outward activity (with whom we walk, stand and sit) it is also an inward thing.
Day and night are opportunities for this person growing in Jesus to spend loving His word. This is the way to get rooted in Christ. Deeply rooted for those moments the winds of life may knock you down.
Where are your roots?
SDG