Psalm 1
1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
If you’re with us on Sundays or are in a Community Group, you know full well we’re in the middle of a series called Rooted. The main image we’ve used from Scripture to cast the entire series is Jesus’ famous Parable of the Sower…or really, the Parable of the Four Soils. The series also could have been cast in terms of the image of Psalm 1, of trees planted by streams of water that yield fruit and do not wither.
Consider that image for a moment. What about trees planted by streams of water would make it so that they grow healthy, fruitful, and strong?
It’s that their roots go deep down into the ground that meets the river, received water, nutrients, and sustenance from the water.
This is what empowers the trees to grow, to be healthy, to bear fruit for the world around, and not to whither even if there’s a dry season, a horrible storm, or disease.
And did you notice in Psalm 1 what the streams of water are analogous to?
The law of the Lord. God’s Word to us.
What’s that? It’s the Psalmist’s way of saying the Word of God, what God has to say to us about who he is, how he wants us to live, and what his plans and intentions are for us.
And how do we “plant” ourselves by this stream of water?
We “meditate day and night” on God’s Word to us in Scripture.
Pretty great. So keep reading, and yield your fruit in its season.