Drink Up!

Today we will be looking at the very first Psalm of the Psalter.  One that shows us how we are benefited by taking the time to sit and drink up the Word of  God.

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man[a]

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 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.

4 The wicked are not so,

    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

    but the way of the wicked will perish

God's Design for Roots - Drink Up!

A few weeks ago my husband and I visited Roger Williams Park located in Providence, Rhode Island.  We are still scratching our heads as to why we haven't taken advantage of this beautiful park before.

During our walk we came upon this majestic Sycamore tree.

I wondered aloud how old this tree must be.  The pictures don't do it justice.

The Sycamore tree happens to be my mom's favorite tree, and I can see why!

Something that has always fascinated me about the Sycamore is how long it takes for the leaves to come out.  The leaves seem to sprout in a spotty, sickly looking fashion, making you wonder if it has succumbed to disease.   But sure enough, once the process is complete, the amazing Sycamore has some of the largest leaves of any tree which provide a beautiful canopy across the backdrop of the sky.

This particular tree isn't planted by a stream, although there is a pond very close by, but judging by it's size and apparent age, it's roots have grown very deep and have stretched out very wide, finding it's source of nourishment through ground springs, I would imagine.

Jesus Died For You and Me - Drink Up!

At the moment of salvation, we as children of God are grafted into the tree of Christ, and as such, we are already deeply rooted in Him.  It doesn't take years of growth to experience all that the Living Water of Christ affords.

Don't Let Your Spiritual Roots Dry Out - Drink Up!

However, too often, we allow those deep roots to dry out by not spending time in prayer, in the Word or in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.  As a result, we cut off our very spiritual life blood.

A co-worker was telling me that she listened to a podcast called Bioneers which is basically a "Ted Talks" for scientists.  She shared something fascinating that she learned while listening to one of the podcasts.  Apparently, trees have a whole communication network beneath the ground that stretches out to other trees.  When one tree is lacking in a nutrient or has a disease, the healthy tree will send out, through this underground network, that which will strengthen and help the other tree.

As Believers, we should take our cue from God's beautiful brotherhood system for trees and remember that no Christian is an island.  We are all part of the Body of Christ and are called to not forsake gathering together.  Through that fellowship, iron sharpens iron, exhortation brings about loving correction, growth reaps fruit, encouragement yields blessing, and the body of believers will not wither, but will prosper.

Just like the underground network of support that God built into trees, He provides everything we need to sustain our Christian walk through prayer, the study of God's Word and fellowship with the body of Believers.

We will enjoy manifold blessings when we nourish the roots of our soul by drinking God's Living Water.

Rivers of Living Water

G. R. H. Wood

Rivers of living water,

  Rivers that flow from the throne,

Rivers o’erflowing with blessing,

  Coming from Jesus alone.

  Rivers of living water,

  Rivers of life so free,

Flowing from Thee, my Savior,

    Send now the rivers through me.

2

Whoso is thirsty come hither,

  Here is abundant supply;

Water transparent as crystal,

  Come without money and buy.

3

Cleanse me, oh, cleanse me, my Savior,

  Make me a channel today;

Empty me, fill me and use me,

  Teach me to trust and obey.

4

Then, and then only, Lord Jesus,

  Through me the rivers can flow;

Thus and thus only will others

  Learn Thy great fulness to know.

5

Now I surrender to Jesus,

  Here I lay all at His feet;

Anything, anywhere only,

  Just for His service made meet!

To learn about how a Christian can bloom where they are planted, head over to my post Bloom Where You Are Planted which you can read HERE.

DRINK UP!

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