Day 3 of Omer

Putting down roots (Psalm 1:1-6)
1 Happy is the one who has not walked in the advice of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of scoffers.

2 But his delight is in the Torah of Adonai, and on His Torah he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a planted tree over streams of water, producing its fruit during its season. Its leaf never droops— but in all he does, he succeeds.
4 The wicked are not so. For they are like chaff that the wind blows away
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand during the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For Adonai knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

Every plant needs roots to live. It is how they stay in the ground, how they draw nutrients from the soil, and how they stay hydrated. The deeper their roots go, the stronger the plant is and the more likely it is to survive droughts. Here in Psalm 1, King David is writing of the kind of person who puts their trust in the Lord, one who reveres God and keeps His way. He likens them to being like a tree whose roots grow deeper despite life’s difficult seasons because they are “planted” by a never-ending source of sustenance. God wants our roots to grow deeper and for them to be as strong as they can be. This happens when we seek Him in prayer. The deeper our prayer lives, the deeper our roots go; we become a people who bear fruit not just for ourselves to enjoy but for the sake of the community God has planted us in (Restoration).