I went hiking yesterday, it was truly a great time! I was joined by my buddies, Aaron and Charlie. The trail honestly blew by pretty quick because we were talking and cracking jokes the whole way out! The trail wraps right along Lake Georgetown and it ends with a pretty cool natural spring! When you get to the spring you are met with a towering tree. This tree is big and you can tell it just soaks up that water. As soon as I saw it I just thought, Psalm 1!
Psalm One "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgement. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction." I would say every person is searching for happiness. It is easy to do. I listened to a podcast yesterday where the speaker said that 1/3 of people would say that they are happy with their life... On top of that 1/4 of women use antidepressant medication. This is the world we live in. People aren't happy. That brings us back to Psalm 1, "Oh the JOYS of those..". So, who are "those people" and how do I get that joy? Follow, Stand, or Join. As I read verse one it has those three phrases to describe the actions of the wicked. So there are two paths in this story. The path of the godly. Then the path that follows the advice of the wicked, stands with sinners, and joins in with mockers. To me I think these phrases lead into one another. At first he takes some advice that he probably doesn't think is wicked. Then he just stands around with sinners. But, then he joins in with mocking. It is a slippery slope, indeed. In this story that path ends with destruction.. The Prospering Tree. The passage says that the godly delights in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. The word meditating here just means he considers it and juggles it around in his head, maybe even muttering it to himself. The law here is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. When is the last time you muttered to yourself words from Numbers? He delights in the law, it isn't forced, he truly loves God's word. Verse 3 states that the godly are like trees along a riverbank, bearing fruit each season, their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all that they do. So check this out, what does a tree produce fruit for? A tree never indulges in the fruit it produces. When the faithful prospers it is not for himself, the prospering isn't even material, but he succeeds in bringing benefit to others! Boom! All this tree talk fits right in with Jeremiah 17: 5-8. "Thus says the LORD: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out 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 think we can both agree to which we would rather be. I would much rather be a tree that overflows with fruit than a withered shrub that sucks up salt.. God isn't placing people in that desert. Both of these options take decisions.. It says, " Cursed is the man who TRUSTS..". (emphasis mine) What is your trust in? For so long I trusted myself, and that only led to broken relationships and empty promises on my end. I am such a prideful man that needed acceptance. I didn't know I was planting myself in a barren wasteland. It took me realizing that I will always fail to come back and trust Jesus to be my spring that feeds my life. His water may enter my broken vessel and bear fruit that blesses people and I pray that they will see the water which I am fed by! Back to Psalm 1, it says the wicked are like chaff that is taken by the wind.. Chaff is the weightless husks and straw within the wheat. It has no weight to it and is swayed by everything. We have two paths. One is the wicked it leads to destruction. It is full of anxiety over money. It is fear of tomorrow and the troubles to come. There is no rest. We can choose to follow our hearts desires, but it will never fulfill. Or we can choose the deeply rooted path. I believe God has planted us with the ability to grow by the river. If you are long down the wicked path God can come into your life and replant you by the ever-flowing stream! Lets be honest. Roots take time. Let God replant you by His river and you will bear fruit in order to love others and love God. Love y'all!
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AuthorMy name is Andrew Berry! I am just living my life chasing after Jesus and trying to point others to Him. Archives
January 2017
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