The Tree That Is Planted

“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

Do you ever feel like you’ve been planted by a trickling stream instead of a flowing “river of water”? Or perhaps a creek that goes dry, between rain showers? Some of you may feel like you’ve never experienced this “river of waters” that the Psalmist so vividly describes.

First of all, let us look at what kind of man becomes this “tree planted by rivers of water”.
In verse 1-2 we see the foundation:
“The man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful…his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

What does it mean to walk in the “counsel of the ungodly”?
Quite frankly, to live your life according to the advice of those who do not love God, or honor him with their lives. This world is overrun with ‘ungodly’ counselors. Bookstores have entire sections devoted solely to “Self-Help”, etc. But until you yield yourself to God, and His counselor, the Holy Spirit – all attempts at self-help will be a vain endeavor in human self-centeredness, and it’s end will be the destruction of the soul. Wisdom has only one source, all else is foolishness.

What does it mean to stand “in the way of sinners”?
To ‘take a stand’ for something, in today’s English, means to agree with, adhere to, and believe in. As the redeemed, we know where the “way of sinners” leads, and it is not a desirable destination by any means. To stand in that way, especially in regards to ungodly lifestyles, and unholy ‘fads’ of the day, is absolutely unacceptable for the Christian who seeks to be planted firmly in the Word of God.

What does it mean to sit “in the seat of the scornful”?
This alludes to the joining in with those who have thrown off all fear of God, and commit sin without restraint. The scorners believe they will escape the judgment of God, and openly mock him to his face; much like the Pharisees in Mark 14 – they heard the gospel, and wickedly rebuked it. To sit with these, is to join in with their corruption: see Saul in Acts 7:58-60, 8:1.

This brings us to the proactive portion of our text:
“his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
As a child doing your chores, would you say you ‘delighted’ in them? Of course not. And as a child of God, we must not see the reading of His Word as a chore to be done to receive our allowance of grace, or peace, or whatsoever we have on our “Need From God List”. The gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” – Romans 1:16. Oh to mediate on our salvation! What a glorious day it was in eternity, that God reached down and plucked us from our sin and shame, and washed us in the shed blood of Jesus Christ! I can think of no greater delight than that, that God saved me! A vile sinner, rebellious and clothed in wickedness – but now cleansed as white as snow! Delight you shall, when you recall that gift of grace that is your salvation, and “day and night” will prove no boundary to the joy that floods each passing moment until He comes again with ten thousand of his saints.

Your justification through Christ Jesus was but the first rush of heavenly waters to your parched soul. Still today, His love is flowing out to you from His throne, much like John recalls in Revelation 22:1-
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life…”

Prosper you He will; for you have been grafted into the true Vine, the root of Jesse.

And so we are called to delight in his law: for it is by the law, men are brought helpless and dead in their sins to the cross of Christ. Only then, can they be “like a tree, planted by rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; [whose] leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

-Come ye to the waters-