Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV
[1] Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. [3] He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
Think for a moment, if you were a tree, where would you be drawing your nutrients, water, and life from? These are the things that make us who we are and how we handle life — everything from little speed bumps that may throw us off course (i.e., losing your job, business challenges, financial stress, etc.) to a significant crisis like a bad report from the doctor, marital problems or bankruptcy.
There are a lot of choices of where our roots draw from in “doing life”:
- My job/career/business — if I just work harder, I can get to that next level of success
- Myself — Trusting in myself to power through any situation through my own achievements
- My money — I’ve got a large bank account that will carry me through
- My opinions and personal philosophies
- My diet and exercise routine
- My religious or political views
- My music
- My hobbies
- My family
- Being rooted and grounded in God’s word — trusting in the Lord Almighty to carry me through day-by-day in every situation for His good and perfect will
To be honest with ourselves, we have all chosen several of these items (myself included) at one time or another in our lives. But the last answer is the lane that God wants us to be driving in. As we delight ourselves in the law of the LORD, our souls will be nourished like a tree planted by the river. Our roots will be absorbing His holy word day in and day out, feeding our souls the very essence that the creator of all things wants us to be nourished with. This is a promise that we can stand on, and no matter what comes our way in life, if our roots are dug deep into God’s word, we cannot be shaken by anything that life throws at us.
Hebrews 12:28-29 NKJV
[28] Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. [29] For our God is a consuming fire.
Feeding the roots of your soul is VERY important. If our roots are tied up in the things of the world, then the fruit that is yielded will become worldly. The very things we nourish our soul with become tainted and dirty. Think about if you planted a tree in soil littered with pollution, chemicals, inadequate water supply, and little sunlight. That tree would be very unhealthy, thirsting for a clean and fresh water supply, and if it did produce fruit, it would be horrible and toxic. Likewise, when we root ourselves in anything but God’s word, we’ll continually thirst for more of the “stuff” of the world, stuck in a never-ending cycle of never having enough. Our souls were made with a desire to serve the Lord of all creation. When we feed it anything but that, the thirst will never be quenched, no matter how much worldly stuff we try to fill ourselves with.
In contrast, when we are rooted and grounded in God’s word, we’ll have the rivers of life nourishing our souls. Our souls will be fed daily the promises of God. We’ll live a life of gratitude, humility, satisfaction, fulfillment, and servanthood to our creator, producing good fruit that others will see and want to taste for themselves to see what God can do in their own lives. This is the attitude that God wants for His children — trusting in Him for all things and feeding on His faithfulness to get us through life.
Psalm 37:3-7 NKJV
[3] Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. [4] Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. [6] He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. [7] Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Psalm 34:8 NKJV
[8] Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Wherever you are in your pursuit of life, if you haven’t already, start today by rooting yourself in God’s word. There is no time like the present to begin a new path of pursuing the treasures of heaven rather than the treasures of earth. God will reward you abundantly and feed your soul more than you could ever ask or imagine.
Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV
[19] “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV
[20] Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
I love you and am praying for you today!
Dad