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Our neighborhood plants trees along the curbs and sidewalks. The dream of tree-lined streets spangled in autumn colors motivates the effort. On our block, the trees are still young and barely shade the street. Some were damaged by the weather in recent years and needed to be replanted. I noticed one of these new trees did not survive the drought we experienced this summer. Leafless twigs branched from a trunk you could easily wrap your fingers around. The lack of water killed it. Trees need water. Being planted between a sidewalk and the street is not the best habitat for a tree.
Psalms 1:3 uses the image of a tree planted by a stream to describe a blessed person. It reads, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (NIV)
What kind of person does this verse describe? Someone who delights in God’s word. Like the tree by the water, those who delight in God’s word draw life from it. Everything we need to flourish emotionally and spiritually can be found in the bible. Hope, encouragement, guidance, assurance of God’s love and purpose and more are found in its words.
Our daily lives are not always the best environment for our emotional and spiritual well-being. But if you spend time in God’s word, you can flourish like a tree planted next to a stream.
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.