Day 6

Planted

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man[a]
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

Kansas, a rock band of my teenage years, released a hit song with these lyrics: "Dust in the wind--all we are is dust in the wind."  The beat would capture your attention, but the words, if embraced, wreaked havoc. Indeed, we must be more than dust in the wind!

The Psalmist offered a powerful contrasting image in Psalm 1. He wrote:

"His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:2-3)

When one fixes their heart and mind on the things of God, everything changes. A mind locked in on the Word of God finds roots in good soil. The Psalmist envisions such a life as a tree planted by the river. I love the idea of being "planted." God does not leave our future to chance. The children of God do not dot the range like trash trees that appear. No, our LORD plants us right where He wants us to be so we can bear fruit in season.

Fruit trees weather the seasons like all creation. During the fall, the leaves change colors and cover the ground, the bitter winter winds blow, then the warmth and rains of Spring stir new life as buds line the branches, and then the fruit of summer weighs down the limbs. Spiritual growth is a journey of the seasons of the soul, yet the heart and mind fixed on Jesus will bear fruit "in season." 

Dust in the wind does not tell our story; the winds blow, and we bend, endure, and bear good fruit. 

Application: Set aside time every day this week to read and meditate on the Word of God. 

Written By: Dr. David Lowrie