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| A Tree by Water (Credit: Evi T on Uplash) |
Water, water, everywhere
Most autumns, on my daily walks in the countryside, I will pick some wild blackberries. Just a few a day soon amounts to quite a lot.
There is one spot on my walks where a stream runs through a field, and besides that stream are found the most lush blackberries on my whole walk. Life needs water.
The space-research world knows that. At present it is consumed with finding a planet-like earth. They want proof that our beautiful planet - and we ourselves - are not unique. Success would justify, in their minds, evolutionary theories about the origin of life and therefore support their belief that no God is needed to create living worlds.
Guess what tale-tale sign they are looking for on these distant bodies? Water. Life requires water so a planet which supports life must have abundant supplies of water.
Today the psalmist uses this water-life image to describe the blessed life.
That person [the one who meditates on God's Word]
is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
In fact the pslamist uses two images.
One is of a fruitful tree planted by streams of water. The other, by contrast, is a tiny piece of chaff, the throw-away left over of a kernel of winnowed wheat.
The blessed man or woman is like a frutiful tree, the wicked man or woman is like chaff. The contrast could scarcely be greater.
Two great blessings come from feeding on God's Word.
Frutiful like a watered Tree
That person [the one who meditates on God's Word]
is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
This tree has fruit on it for all to see and enjoy. Leaves do not wither. Even in a drought, it remains healthy. This tree is the epitomy of both health and usefulness.
The psalmist summarises what a frutiful tree means in human practise: "whatever they do prospers." There is, says the psalmist, a straight line to be drawn between secret meditation on God's Word and spiritual health, usefulness and prospering. The Word is the cause and the effect is health and usefulness.
The second image reinforces the first. Chaff is the part of the harvested crop that is thrown away, useless and unwanted. I have seen it with my own eyes in India. The soft evening winds are used for winnowing the crop. Rice kernel and husk are both thrown into the air. The useful heavy rice falls back onto a winnowing fan to be used in feeding hungry mouths, while the unusable husk is blown into useless oblivion.
Do you and I want to live a blessed, useful and profitable life? The secret source of power is God's Word.
Solid like a watered Tree
But there is more to a watered Tree than beauty and usefulness, there is also rock-solid stability. The tree by the waters is not broken by the winds that blow away the chaff. Storms may come and storms may go, but the tree remains.
What kept Jesus during the storm of his forty day temptation? His mind was filled with the Word of God. We know that because every time he answered Satan's suggestions, Scripture poured out.
What kept Jesus going on the cross? For the joy set before him he endured the cross: he knew from Scripture that God would not allow him to remain dead (Psalm 16).
The great promises of God's Word kept Jesus going. And so it will be with us.
We are not saying that the tree won't sway. We're not saying that it won't creak. Jesus mourned the loss of friend Lazarus, he wept drops of blood in the Garden. We too may sway and groan in the howling winds: but we will not fall - that's the assurance we have.
The tree will weather the storm because of the deep sources of divine life-giving water, and it will stay green, and it will bear fruit, and it will stand. God has promised to keep us from falling and to present us before the throne of God without fault and with great joy (Jude 24).
Summing it all Up
What wonderful encouragements to feed on God's Word! The man or woman who delights and meditates on God's Word will be like a tree planted by waters, not like chaff blown by the wind.
A beautiful Christ-like life - filled with the fruits of the Spirit!
A useful life - bearing fruit in season. Fruit is for the benefit of others, not the tree.
A strong life - not blown here and there, but strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
May we feed on God's Word and be found among the company of the fruitful blessed.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
This wonderful song encourages us, whatever comes our way, to stand on the solid promises God has made in his Word.
To the setting of the sun,
I will stand on every promise of Your word.
Words of power, strong to save,
That will never pass away,
I will stand on every promise of Your word.
For Your covenant is sure,
And on this I am secure,
I can stand on every promise of Your word.
When I stumble and I sin,
Condemnation pressing in,
I will stand on every promise of Your word.
You are faithful to forgive,
That in freedom I might live,
So I stand on every promise of Your word.
Guilt to innocence restored:
You remember sins no more!
So I’ll stand on every promise of Your word.
When I’m faced with anguished choice,
I will listen for Your voice,
And I’ll stand on every promise of Your word.
Through this dark and troubled land
You will guide me with your hand
As I stand on every promise of Your word.
And you’ve promised to complete
Every work begun in me,
So I’ll stand on every promise of Your word.
Hope that lifts me from despair,
Love that casts out every fear,
As I stand on every promise of Your word.
Not forsaken, not alone,
For the Comforter has come,
And I stand on every promise of Your word.
Grace sufficient, grace for me,
Grace for all who will believe,
We will stand on every promise of Your word.
Stuart Townend
You can sing along HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our Father in Heaven,
We thank you for the promises of your Word. We thank you that as we delight and meditate on your Word, your Spirit in turn makes us like a fruitful and useful tree planted by streams of water.
Help us to feed on your Word. Help us to make your Word a priority in our daily lives, help us to instruct our children in the Word, help married couples to encourage one another in the Word.
Save us from living a useless chaff-like life.
May we be among the blessed for whom it can be said "everything they do prospers."
We ask these things in the Name of Jesus
Amen
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