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Winter 2009 – DOWNLOAD WINTER 2009 NEWSLETTER
Planted
Psalms 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is only in the Law of Jehovah; and in His Law he meditates day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivulets of water that brings forth its fruit in its seasons, and its leaf shall not wither, and all which he does shall be blessed.”
Psalms 1:3 speaks of someone who bears fruit, doesn’t wither, and prospers in whatever he does. An amazingly extraordinary person? Well actually, it is the natural result of being planted by rivers of water. This verse gives a picture of a tree planted by the ever life-giving water. Hidden roots have access to the necessary life to make it possible for the tree to be successful, whole, and bear visible fruit. According to Jesus, it is the person who bears much fruit who brings glory to God. (John 15:8) Being fruitful is a desire of people who love and want to glorify God.
The roots of your life are always drawing upon something for sustenance. Counsel, advice, opinions, and influence are constantly being supplied from the ungodly, the sinners, and scornful. But the man who is blessed and ultimately fruitful doesn’t draw from this toxic river that flows all around him. Instead, his delight and response is first and foremost planted somewhere else.
Whatever you think about most is what you are delighting or rooting in and ultimately what you are drawing on. The blessed man’s roots (what he views as valuable) are in the law of the Lord and and because they are, the law of the Lord is what he thinks about day and night. Let’s slow down and consciously put value on God’s word to you this year and consciously draw out of the written Word the life that is within us. (John 6:63)
Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that those believers would be rooted and grounded in love. Because God is love, it is in His very person that our roots are to be planted in. Similarly, Colossians 2:7’s prayer is for believers to be rooted and grounded in Him. Be aware that when you talk to God, you can actually draw up into your being everything He is, the Living Word. How pure, clean, holy, and full of life He is!
You don’t have to go far to be planted by the right river. Instead of looking to the world around you, remember that Jesus said that the water that He gives us would be in us like a fountain that springs up with everlasting life. (John 4:14) He also said in John 7:37 that rivers of living water would come from within us; from out of our belly.
Jeremiah 17:5-8: “Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts (puts his roots) in man And makes (or makes the ways of) flesh his strength,Whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope (root) is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” No matter what happens all around you this year, without a doubt this year will be a gloriously fruitful year for you as you are planted in our faithful God!