Verse of the Day 9/7

Verse of the Day 9/7

Psalm 1:2-3

English Standard Version

2 but his delight is in the law[a] of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 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.

Since moving to North Carolina 18 years ago my wife and I have not had much (any?) success in growing tomatoes.  The soil is not fertile and they need attention and care. This year we gave it another shot.  We potted a couple of plants next to our wading pool, close by the proch door and only a few feet from the pool.  The plants did better this year, but it wasn't smooth.  We had to remember to water the plants regularly.  There were days where this did not take place and the plants quickly wilted.  Even though they were only a few feet from the water of the pool, their roots were confined to the plot, they could not be nourished by the water that was only a few feet away.

Often, when reviewing this psalm, I've focused on the first two verses and the downward progression of "walking, standing and sitting" in the way of the "wicked, sinners and scoffers".  Today we'll focus on the positive part.  The "blessed" man is like a tree planted, literally "transplanted".  Before receiving Christ, we were not connected, our roots did not reach the living water, they were contained in the pot with the rest of the world.  God transplanted us, He planted us where we would have access to draw upon HIs Word, His power, His grace.  When we keep drawing from it we will grow and produce fruit.

Let us not be lke the tomato plants that were close to the pool but whose roots did not tap into the source.  In a way, we can sometimes be like those tomato plnats when we have our Bibles sitting on the coffee table or shelf but don't pick them up and read them, study them, memorize His Word and apply it in our lives.  Let us continually "tap into" it.

John MacArthur notes that "Salvation is his marvelous work of grace. Yet there is genuine responsibility in appropriating the abundant resources of God which lead to productivity."

What other verses and passages come to your mind?  Turn to them, draw from them, be nourished by them, grow from them in season and out of season.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Psalm 1

English Standard Version

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man[a]
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law

of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 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.
4 The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.