This post has been on my mind for several days now. As I discussed in my post last night which was titled, What Keeps Me Awake At Night…, I tend to post things that are weighing on my mind or I think could really encourage someone. The following verse is one I have been pondering a lot. It offers both encouragement, and I think in my own life, a challenge as well.

“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.”

Psalms 1:3, English Standard Version

Someone who has placed their confidence and faith in Christ is described in this verse. They can be compared to a tree. Not a dried up tree that is leaning and just waiting for the next big storm to send it crashing to the ground. The person is like a tree that is firmly planted, with roots extending deep into the ground. They are strong. They’re able to withstand storms, battering rain, wind, ice, and hail. There they stand, tall next to the stream. The King James Version translates the word used for streams, as rivers. So this tree that is firmly planted gains it’s nourishment from the river or stream that runs next to it. Jesus spoke a lot about bodies of water; particularly rivers and streams.

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 7:37-38, ESV

So the Christian is the tree, that through placing their trust in Christ, becomes deeply rooted and planted. They draw their strength and resilience from Christ, who is the river and provides nourishment to any who thirst.

But that’s not all!

A believer who is grounded in Jesus, and who is thirsty for the living water Christ spoke about in John, will continually produce fruit year after year. They’re healthy. They’re strong. They’re able to withstand the storms of life because they’re constantly drawing from a water source that will never run dry. Their lives are a testimony to the source from which they gain strength.

There’s a lot of encouragement in these two verses I shared. But there’s also a challenge and a few questions I must ask myself. How deep do my roots run? Am I planted by the water, or am I far from the water source? Am I just waiting for life’s next big storm to come and send me crashing to the forest floor? How about you?