Planted by the Waters

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. —Psalm 1:3

A creek runs by the end of my lane. Its banks sport tall trees on both sides. I’ve seen these trees bending in the storm, but they have never toppled over. Flash floods have swirled around their trunks, but the trees have not washed away. When summer heat has turned the grass brown in the meadow, the leaves on the trees remain a vibrant green.

How do the trees do it? The answer lies in their roots, which tap into the water and are nurtured by it.

Our text verse is really not about trees. It is about people. It is about you and me. Is it possible for us, in our busyness of raising families, spreading the Gospel, preparing to homeschool, or whatever it may be, to stand tall no matter what comes?

Just as a tree needs a source of water, so we too must be planted by the fountain of living waters. The verse preceding our text gives us a key: “His delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Are you discouraged because it seems there isn’t time to sit down and read the Bible for half an hour in the morning? Yes, there are times for in-depth Bible study and prayer. We need to do that if we are going to stand.

However, this verse says to delight in the law. We can do this by doing what the Bible teaches: loving our spouse and children, teaching them the things of God, and serving others. We can purpose to meditate on the things of the Lord that we encounter throughout the day: the Bible lesson we read to our children, the verse on a motto, or the meditation in the Sunday school paper that needs to be put away. We can speak to others about what the Lord is doing in our life. It will become more meaningful as we share it with others.

As for Bible reading—in our busiest season of life we may need to read the Bible in snatches, meditate on the perpetual calendar’s verse on the dresser, pray while we prepare food, or memorize Scripture with our children.

If we make the Lord our delight and meditate on His Word, we can expect great things. Our life will have an anchor in the storm and in drought we will find refreshment. No matter what comes, our life will prosper as we follow God’s ways.

—Frieda Thiessen