The Season of the Tree

Trees. Tall. Proud. Strong.
Standing firm in the wind, letting their leaves rustle in the breeze.
Trees.
If I were to draw a self portrait, I think this is what I would draw. A great big apple tree, standing in an orchard. Branches stretched high, roots expanded low, fruit in abundance to share with the world.
I think this is the way the Lord would describe me too.
He seems to speak to me through trees. Any new place I go, where there is a theme in tow, inevitably I will be drawn to a tree. This is to the point that what I have affectionately named "the prophetic tree branch" was found in my new apartment. (A tree branch was left hanging in my room by the previous owner, who also had a tree theme).
So this is the season I am in: The season of the Tree. The Lord has been speaking to me about branches, about roots, about fruit, and it's amazing how many times he uses this parable in the new testament. A tree, bearing fruit in its season. Is your fruit good or bad. But he's slowly drawing me to the realization that it's not about the fruit at all. It's about the roots. Want good fruit? Get good roots and good roots come from where their planted.
Soil dictates everything about the roots of the tree. They're the veins of the plant, carrying up life. That's why in Psalm 1 it says "Blessed is the man like a tree planted by streams of living water." He is in good soil. Rich soil, soil connected to the water, the life blood. The parable of the good soil rings loud and clear. Seeds being planted.
But for me, as I am the tree, what appeals is the idea of roots. Where are my roots? I was reading in Matthew 3, where John the Baptist begins his ministry. The Pharisees approach him and he scolds, "You brood of vipers. You want good fruit, but how do you expect that to happen when you are rooted in evil?"(Paraphrase mine).
 It's about the roots. It's about the heart. Now get this. What puzzles me is that the Pharisees were teachers. They spent their lives studying the law. So wouldn't they be rooted. Doesn't rooting come from studying the word? Doesn't good fruit come from knowing what is good and doing it?
And this is the vital trap. It is the point where we begin to worship the good instead of the one who is good. I was in a conversation with a friend one time and he explained idolatry as this: "So often we put God in a box. God is unfathomable, but we get this idea of him and we try to compartmentalize him. Then, once we get our picture structured just as we think it should be, we begin worshiping our god in a box, and no longer are we worshiping God, but we are worshiping this box in which we have captured our idea of God."
This was the fall of the Pharisees. They had studied. They had formed this idea of God, and began to worship him, instead of worshiping the God of the universe as he is. They worshiped Him with their works from the law, trying to achieve righteousness, neglecting the truth that true righteousness is only found in repentance. They put God in a box, and anyone that has any encounter with God has glimpsed the truth that God is uncontainable.
A.W. Tozer said "It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right, while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate. If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is."
I ran across this quote today as I have started reading THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY by Tozer. A friend suggested it to me as I said, "I'm needing to be stretched. I need something to aid me on this journey of seeing God as He really is, as I can on earth."
It's about the roots, and my desire is to be rooted in Christ. So here I go. Ready to have my mind blown open to God in a way I have never known or imagined could be known.

Abba, reveal to me who you are. I'm not satisfied to create an idol of works or some depiction of you I have created in my head. I'm not satisfied when you tore the veil that I may know you as you truly are and be known. Abba, if righteousness is found in repentance, I'm repenting my tendency to seek salvation in my works, when only dependency on your Lamb that brings relationship with you can birth righteousness. I'm ready to have my mind blown.
Amen.