Like a Tree Planted by the Rivers of Water

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. (Psalm 1:3)

If you've ever stood near a big old tree by a river, you know something about it that most people miss. What you see above ground is nothing compared to what's underneath. The roots run deeper and wider than the branches ever will. That's why the storms that flatten young, shallow-rooted trees leave the old ones still standing.

That's the picture here. It is a person who's meditated on the Word and let it sink down deep over time and doesn't fall apart the moment pressure shows up. It is not because life gets easier for them, but rather because what's underneath them is deeper than what's hitting them from the outside.

Also, pay close attention to what the Scripture says about the harvest for that type of tree. It doesn’t yield fruit by demand, or by a specific timeline, but by whatever season they find themselves in. There will be easy seasons, and more difficult seasons. That’s a part of living on this earth. But whoever is planted doesn’t have to guess whether they are going to be fruitful. Fruitfulness is a result of the place they have been planted.

God made a promise based on what you root yourself in. Are you rooted in the Word?  Do you go to the water of His Word when you find yourself spiritually dry?

Practical Application

Stop measuring your growth by this week alone. Ask instead whether your roots are going deeper, season after season. How much time and effort are you giving to the reading, hearing, and understanding of the Word?

Jeremiah 17:7; Colossians 2:6