And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:3 NASB
Every time I turn around, something has changed. Something is different.
So much has changed in our world! Then I added moving to another state at the beginning of a pandemic. Friend, I don’t recommend it. It’s been a few months since my move and I’m still reeling from massive changes.
Every one of us has been shaken to the core by the uncertainty and strangeness of everything. It would be so much better if this was connected to just one thing at a time. But life just doesn’t work that way – ever. No – it’s Every. Single. Thing.
But then God draws me to His Word. It’s there I find help and strength and security.
Aren’t the Psalms just the best when dealing with any sort of emotion? It’s seriously my go-to every time life knocks me down or change is overwhelming.
In Psalm 1:3, the psalmist talks about a tree firmly planted by streams of water. I want to be that tree! A tree firmly planted has been around for years. It’s weathered many storms and withstood parching heat as well as ice and snow. No matter what has happened around this tree, it still stands.
Oh I want that to be me! I want to have my roots so firmly planted in God’s Word that I stand no matter what. Whether it’s a death, a move, a devastating relationship issue, a pandemic or whatever, I want to be unshakable, firmly planted.
In the next verse of this psalm, I see where my roots should be planted. Verse 2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” God’s Word………the deep, rich soil where my tree roots can penetrate, soaking up nutrients and fed by the streams of living water nearby.
Here’s where I have to ask myself some questions. How much time am I spending in God’s Word these days? Am I spending the majority of my time feasting on my phone? Netflix? Are my roots planted more in temporal things or eternal things?
This causes me to remember Isaiah 40:8. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.” And that brings me back to the firmly planted tree.
So today I’m pausing to rethink my priorities, shift my focus, redirect my roots. God’s Word is right there on the little table by my chair. When I sit there each morning planted in God’s Word, I can be that tree. Life will still hit me, but I’m going to be ok, not because of me, but because of God and His Word. I can rely on it – today and forever.