He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. (Proverbs 11:28)
I love the symbolism that Proverbs 11:28 uses. When we read it, we should remember that the Jewish people were an agricultural society. If you have never grown anything, you may not fully appreciate the analogy used in this verse. Imagine a tree standing tall, with wide branches and large leaves, but underneath the surface, the roots are shallow. One strong wind can blow a tree with shallow roots over. That’s how Proverbs describes the person who trusts in his riches. They may have the finest clothes, the best cars, and display a life of perfection, but they won’t last in a storm.
The antithesis of the rootless tree is the flourishing branch of the righteous. Think about a tree that is planted by a riverside. It may not stand out in a grand way, but the fruit it produces is full and juicy. Its branches are not just large and impressive, they are full of fruit and leaves because it is rooted in a place where the living water flows. Righteousness is following God’s ways of doing things. When our hearts, our minds, and our lives are rooted in God’s Word, it will affect how we work, how we speak, and how we live. The living waters of God’s Word flow through us to others. Your flourishing isn’t dependent on the stock market; it’s connected to how dependent you are on God’s Word.
Practical Application
How much time do you take to get nourished in the Word? It’s important to hear and study the Word more than once or twice a week. Are you listening to the Word or messages throughout the day? Are you positioning yourself to be fed what God is saying? Spend some time each week to plan and prepare for when and how you can hear God’s Word regularly and be the tree by the stream of living water.