Psalm 1

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." Psalm 1:3   

The more I think of this tree planted by streams of water, the more I love thinking about it. We have the picture of a planted tree, a tree chosen by someone and carefully planted in just the right place to bear fruit [John 15 added to the picture]. The fact that the tree was planted by someone, it's not just a random, self-sown mulberry tree that sprouted up somewhere inconvenient.... that fact changes everything. 

     And the sturdiness of the word planted; "the pitcher planted her feet for the windup" is powerful. "The two year old planted his feet and wailed." Lots of lovely used of the word. So the tree is not just tossed in a hole and covered up, it's planted there. It reminds me of Paul's continuous use of the word Established, when talking of his ministry to the churches. Planted or established is a sturdy, permanent place to be. 

    It seems really relevant to this picture of sturdiness in the life of a follower of God that she delights in the Torah, the stories of God's interaction with his chosen people in Genesis through Deuteronomy. [I hope you expand on that word delight, Angela, as it will be used again in Psalm 16 next week. 

    There are two groups in Psalm one; it's a very black and white poem. There is the one who is blessed and the one who is judged. One is watched over by God; the other is allowed to go his own way and perish. One has a beautifully fruitful life and the other a life of no value. 

    The difference is the time spent meditating on the Word. And note that the time is not 10 minutes in the morning... the time is day and night! That's the kind of spending time in the word that changes you. That's the kind of time in the word that establishes you, plants you firmly in a place you can thrive and bear fruit. That's the kind of time in the word that makes the choice to stay out of the saloon of sin and the university of mockery....  or something like that.... a pretty easy choice to make. 

     You girls know that; that's why you're here! You want to really know the Word. You want to understand the God of the Word. You want to know Him. I hope we can make real progress together towards that goal this semester. 

     It takes time and thought for scripture to transform you mind and sink into your heart in order to accomplish that.  But how blessed! Doesn't the picture of this tree just make you want to have that beautiful, secure, planted in God kind of life. How gracious of David to share his secret of blessedness with us.