But his delight in is 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 its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:2-3
As I sat down on this 1st day of 2020, I pondered where to start reading in my Bible. You see, the last month or so was aimless, reading here and there, or wherever I needed to meet my needs. I tried doing an Advent devotional, but I found myself so many days behind, unfocused on the true reason for Christmas, and defeated by my inability to just be with Jesus.
As I sat, I thought about Psalms. I could read 5 Psalms a day for 30 days, but I knew some days, 1 Psalm would be more than enough and then I would get behind. I want the freedom to take my time without being bound by a plan. So I thought, what if I just start with Psalms and work my way through. So I opened to Psalm 1 and that’s when verse 3 popped out to me.
The Psalm is about the blessed man and the comparison of this man to a tree. He is characterized in verse 2 by his love for the Word of God. It’s something he meditates on. I realized how that characteristic was meeting my heart where it was at…to be able to meditate on God’s Word. In verse 3, the comparison of the tree comes to life. A tree planted by a stream of water has a constant source of life in that stream. That likens itself to God’s word for the Christian soul.
Then it continues on to talk about giving fruit in its season. This morning what that spoke to me was that a tree doesn’t produce fruit all year long. It has specific seasons in which it produces its fruit. For me, that’s much like my summer, which is the height of my ministry year. Much of the rest of my year is spent in preparation for summer, but it was the next line that spoke much greater.
“And its leaf does not wither.”
Psalm 1:3b
It doesn’t matter whether the tree was in its fruit producing season or not, its leaves don’t wither. In nature, most trees lose their leaves every year, resulting a bare look for months. Sure they bud again and produce vibrant leaves again, but then the same process happens. The leaves wither and they fall. That’s not so with this tree. The life that this tree receives from being by a constant source of life, keeps its leaves from withering regardless of what season it is.
And so I desire that to be in my life. I look at others around me and see how even when they walk through difficulty they are anchored to the Word. Recently I realized how much I allow my circumstances and relationships to dictate my view of God and His view of me, which drastically alters my relationship with Him. I had to confess that to God, and while I know I’m still prone to falter, this morning gave me hope. It’s a journey, but I want to be passionate about God’s Word. One of the ways I can best stay a-tuned to God’s Word is by writing what it speaks to me. And in return, I expect to experience the life comparable to an unwithered leaf.
The Unwithered Leaf 