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I have been doing a lot of thinking about the image of being “like a tree planted by streams of water” and how that plays out in real life. The questions of how, what, and why have been swirling in my mind as I’ve tried to put it into words. What is the danger we face if we are not intentionally seeking to be rooted and firmly planted? While a tree is passive in its planting, it does not simply remain idle.
We can’t either.
If a tree isn’t firmly rooted in the ground, it is in danger of being uprooted, blown over, vulnerable to all sorts of things. The same goes for us as believers. If we are not firmly rooted in our foundation—Christ and His Word—we are in danger of being distracted, prone to despair, and drifting away from the Truth. This planted tree has stability because it was planted intentionally. In the same way, we have stability when we are rooted, planted, and grounded firmly in Him.
If a tree isn’t receiving nourishment (in the case of Psalm 1 – the streams of water), it is in danger of withering, disease, and not bearing fruit. The same danger applies to us. If we are not being nourished by the Truth of God’s Word, communing with Him in prayer, and meditating on who He is and what He has revealed in His Word, we too are prone to withering in our faith. We will be fearful, worrisome, losing sight of the joy that we have been given in Christ.
As a result of the Psalm 1 person being like a tree planted by the streams of water, it “bears its fruit in its season” (1:3b). This means that it is productive. It is active. It isn’t just sitting there being a tree in name only. We are called to bear fruit as well. Let’s look at just a couple of examples.
John 15:16 says,
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
We also see the command in Colossians 1:10,
“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him; bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
We see the same tree imagery in Jeremiah 17:7-8 which says,
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is in the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
I love these verses because it shows that even though the tree was passive in its planting, it is not passive in seeking nourishment. (it sends out its roots by the stream). And because it is actively seeking nourishment and being strengthened by that nourishment, there is no fear when the heat comes or anxiety when the year of drought is upon it.
Sisters, we are to be like that tree. Though our salvation is through grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, we do not save ourselves—much like the tree did not plant itself. And yet, we are not called into passivity. We too must seek nourishment through the Truth of God’s Word. We must preach the truth of the gospel to ourselves regularly – reminding ourselves of the grace poured out upon us through Christ’s life, death and resurrection. When that is our focus, our aim, our deepest hunger and thirst, we will not fear when the heat of life comes (and it will!). Nor will we succumb to anxiousness and doubt when hardships, struggles, pain, or grief seem never ending. We won’t drift into the wind of the world or be distracted by the cares of the world.
Why?
Because we will be reminded that we have everything we need in Him. He is the source of our strength. He is our refuge, our shelter, our abiding place. He gives us life and breath.
That truth gives our hearts reason to soar.
Just as we again see in Psalm 1:2,
“but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And on his law he meditates day and night.”
My prayer is that we would all delight in His law. His Word is life. His Word renews our minds and transforms our hearts. His Word reveals His will and purposes. His Word shows us more and more of His glory, grace, holiness, majesty, sovereignty, love, justice and mercy.
Lord, you are good and you do good. You are the living water and bread that our souls truly find their nourishment. Strengthen us in your Spirit to delight in and desire more of You. Help us to be diligent in our pursuit of You, your Truth, that we might grow in our knowledge and thereby grow in our awe and reverence of who You are, and that we would grow in wisdom, as we seek to walk in a manner fully pleasing to You. For your glory and for the sake of your beautiful name.
