And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. — Psalm 1:3
In growing up in the south, it was common to see people with gardens all around. I remember when I was younger working with my dad as he would have a garden. There was a lot of care given to the garden. You wanted it to be in the right place, with the seed placed in the right spot. It mattered where things were planted because it would affect how they would grow.
If the seed was planted among the rocks, it would never take root. If they were planted in dry ground without proper water, they may take root, but they would never produce whatever you were trying to grow. Special attention was paid to make sure that the soil was good fertile soil and that there was a source of water that would allow proper growth.
At the beginning of the Psalm, we see a clear lesson in this that can be applied to our spiritual lives as well. He refers to a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. This is a reference to a tree that is planted in a specific place. It was not a tree that sprang up randomly, but one that was planted in a specific spot for a particular purpose. This tree is planted in fertile soil by the river, a continuous source of water. That allowed the tree to bring forth fruit without withering away. It allowed the tree to prosper.
Each of us makes a decision about where we are going to place our lives spiritually. We can root ourselves in the things of this world, which is dry and desolate land. There is little water to be found among the things of the world to help us grow spiritually in God and help us produce fruit. Or we can plant ourselves in the fertile grounds of God, by the rivers of water found in His word.
As you go about your day, where are you putting your roots? Are you focused on putting your roots in the things of the world, or are you putting them in the things of God? If we put our roots anywhere other than the things of God, we will never prosper and produce the fruit that God would have us to. Today, choose to root yourself in God!
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