ROOTED LIKE THE RIGHTEOUS: A Reflection on Trees
There is a quiet wisdom in the way Scripture speaks of trees—rooted, steady, lifting their branches toward heaven—and every believer feels the weight of that image sooner or later. A tree does not hurry, it does not strain, it simply abides in the soil that feeds it and reaches upward toward the light; and in that gentle metaphor the Lord whispers the very heart of discipleship (Psalm 1:1-3).
Joyce Kilmer once wrote, “I think that I shall never see / a poem lovely as a tree”—a reminder that even the simplest oak or cedar silently declares the beauty of its Maker. The Christian life, when lived in patient faith, becomes such a testimony; quiet, constant, nourishing, bearing witness not to ourselves but to the God who planted us.
The Scriptures return to this image again and again, as though the Holy Spirit knew how much we needed its simplicity. The righteous are compared to trees planted beside rivers—drawing life from a source deeper than themselves (Jeremiah 17:7-8). They do not fear the heat, they do not wither in seasons of drought, because their roots drink from God’s faithfulness. Jesus echoes this image when He speaks of good trees bearing good fruit, each revealing its nature by what it produces (Matthew 7:17-20). In a world blown about by every wind, the believer is called to be stable—rooted in Christ, nourished by His Word.
And there is another comfort hidden in the metaphor; trees grow slowly. They do not become mighty in a moment; they thicken ring by ring—one season of rain, one season of heat, one winter of waiting at a time. So the believer grows, often without noticing; grace shaping us quietly, the Spirit strengthening us inwardly, the Father pruning us wisely so that more fruit may come (John 15:1-2). Our failures do not uproot us, nor do our struggles define us; we stand where He has planted us, and His mercy becomes our strength.
Perhaps that is why Kilmer’s simple lines linger—because they remind us that beauty is often silent. The Christian rooted in Christ becomes such a quiet beauty in the world; not loud, not hurried, simply faithful. And in due season, the fruit appears; love, joy, peace, patience—each a testimony that the life of Jesus is flowing through us (Galatians 5:22-23). To be a tree in the courts of the Lord is not only our calling; it is our comfort, for He Himself tends us, and His presence is our endless spring (Psalm 92:12-14).
“Poems are made by fools like me / But only God can make a tree”
Lord Jesus, plant me deeply in Your grace. Let Your Word be the river that nourishes my soul. Make my life a quiet, fruitful tree for Your glory.
BDD
