Psalm 1:3 "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."
This particular verse is "planted" in the middle of this first Psalm
and it acts as a dividing factor between its first half and last half. The
first half deals with the actions of those who walk in the presence of the
Lord. There is delight in the Word of God and there is thought given to the
precious Word of God, both the Living Word and the written Word. When our
hearts and minds are focused on the things of the Lord, we will be striving to
be closer to Him. As we look back at this Psalm, we have the wonderful
advantage of knowing the Living Word, Jesus Christ. We have the blessings of
knowing the beautiful grace of God that has given us life and drawn us unto
Himself.
The second half of the Psalm speaks of the ungodly, the unrighteous.
Those who seek to walk the way of the world are prone to be blown from one
place to another. The chaff was removed from the wheat by allowing the wind to
separate it from the grain. The wind would blow the chaff and leave the grain
in its place to be of useful purpose for the people. There is no
anchoring force in the lives of those who seek their own will and way.
The dividing factor between the two cases is found in our text today.
Being planted by the rivers of water ensures the ability to produce good fruit
in our lives. The question that I ask this morning is this: Does a
tree plant itself? No, the tree is planted by an outside force. In
nature, the seed of a tree may be planted by a squirrel, or the wind may blow
the seed to a place, or an individual may dig the hole and plant either the
seed or seedling. A tree does not plant itself. On the Spiritual
level, do we plant ourselves by the "rivers of waters"? The
answer is no. We are planted by God, Himself. When we realize this, we
know there is no room for boasting about our own works.
When we are blessed to bring forth fruit in its season and when our
"leaves" do not wither under the pressure of the world's heated
struggles and trials, it is because of the grace of God that freely flows in
our lives. When we have spiritual prosperity in our lives, it is because
the Holy Spirit of God leads us to that place in life. We can be overcomers of
the trials of life as we drink of that Living Water that is given to us by
God's grace. Today, let us realize that we do not have to shrivel under
the pressure of life. We can drink from that water that never runs dry.
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)