But 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, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatsoever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:2-3, NIV)
Several weeks ago I got my hands dirty and did my first transplant…I dug up two plants, split each into four sections, and then replanted six of them in a new location. I know very little about gardening (and actually don’t like it much), so I was a little skeptical about the process. I braced myself for potential disaster and a trip to the local garden center.
For my transplant to be successful, I was instructed to nourish the plants with extra water for seven to ten days to help them take root in the new area. As I gave them fresh streams of water every day, I was delighted to witness them grow from stubby stems into big green, leafy plants. Without the water, the roots would have dried up and died.
As I marvel at the growth of these plants, I wonder if I have given the same diligence to the importance of God’s word in my life. Do I delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it? Am I a tree planted in the Living Water? Do I bear fruit? Are the works of my hands prospering?
In order to yield fruit in season and prosper in our lives, we need to sacrifice time to be in the word, choose to drink it, and then make a decision to take root.I would like to stand and shout yes to these questions, but I know I lack consistency. It’s easy to get distracted in my busy schedule, with my computer, family, work, and chores. Instead of immersing myself in the word every day, I tend to try and survive on a few verses here and there, books written by man, or radio programs. I physically know when my body has gone too long without water, but I’m not as sensitive to my spirit’s need for Living Water—the word of God.
In order to yield fruit in season and prosper in our lives, we need to sacrifice time to be in the word, choose to drink it, and then make a decision to take root. As we open our minds and hearts for the word to flow into us, God will do the work to transform us more into the likeness of Jesus day after day, month after month, and year after year.
We all have spent many hours reading golf magazines, watching the Golf Channel, and taking lessons to improve our swings. If we can do that for a game, how much more we can give to being “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatsoever he does prospers.”
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Tracy Hanson
Originally published May 25, 2011
Copyright 2011 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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