Planted by the Rivers of Water

I started reading in the Psalms and I asked God to show me something new even in the familiar passages. He did that for me and I wanted to share what I saw.

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither: and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The verse that stood out the most to me was verse 3. We are compared to a tree in this verse. Now when I think of a tree I think of something that is stable, stong, and unmoving.

Plant is defined as to place firmly in position, to establish. So to be planted is to be firmly in position, to be established, and deeply rooted.

One of my favorite trees is the oak tree. When I was growing up we had two beautiful oak trees in front of our home. They had been there for decades and were firmly rooted. Even when the winds blew they stood firmly in place.

We should be like an oak tree and remain planted firmly. The winds of life shouldn't knock us down. But what should we be planted in?

1) In the Word of God. Make time each day to read God's word. Just like verse 2 says we need to be in His word daily and meditate on it throughout the day and night. The Bible should be our guide book for every decision we make.  This is the only way we can make sound decisions.
2) In the church God has placed you in. God has a church for you to be a member of, to serve in, and to grow in Him! Allow Him to direct your path to the place He has for you. He led me to a wonderful church and I love serving Him there. It's wonderful to see God's hand in my life.
3) In God's will. Sometimes we know God's will for our lives but we chose to go a different way. It will be easier, we think. And God allows us to make our choices all the while knowing what will happen. Praise the Lord we can always come back to Him and ask His forgiveness! But wouldn't it be better to resolve to be planted in His will no matter what it is and no matter what we think about it?

Once we are planted is that all there is to it? Of course not. I can read my Bible and gain nothing if I'm not purposeful in my reading. I can go to church and just go through the motions if I don't focus my attention while I'm there. I can be in God's will but have the wrong attitude and feel deprived.

In verse 3 it says "his leaf also shall not wither". If we are planted by the water the way we should be, we will be drinking the water and our leaves won't wither. We have to be purposeful to drink the water to grow and nourish ourselves. Get in God's word on your own! Don't just wait for church! We also have to be focused on drinking the water God provides in the messages we hear at church. And we have to keep the right attitude to enjoy being in God's will.

God has so many good things for us to enjoy! Let's be like a tree and be planted where God wants us and make the choice to drink the bountiful water He has supplied!