Verse of the Day 2/28

Through the Bible -Numbers 31-32

Good morning,
I've had an interest in trees since I was a kid. I remember seeing seedlings grow in the neighbors sandbox when the nearby maple trees dropped their "helicopters". I started planting trees then and continued to do so at our first home, when we moved to Huntley and again when we moved to North Carolina. The ones that I planted in areas of the yard that were moist and well watered did well. Sometimes I planted trees where I thought they'd look nice but if the soil was hard and dry they didn't surive.
Today's verse comes from Psalm 1 which I read yesterday.
Psalms 1:2 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. NKJV

These verses reveal several things. The psalm starts out with "blessed is the man" and speaks here that whatever he does shall prosper. We should take this not as a guarantee of financial success (as some do) but in following Him closely, remaining close to Him we will be productive for Him.
MacArthur notes that being "planted" literally means "transplanted. Trees do not plant themselves ; neither do sinful people transport themselves into God's kingdom. Salvation is His marvelous work of grace. Yet there is genuine responsibility in appropriating the abundant resources of God. (Jer. 17:8), which lead to eventual productivity."
Derek Maul writes in today's "These Days" devotional:
"Research reveals that less than 10 percent of Christians set aside time for regular devotional reading and prayer. But here's an interesting fact: 100 percent of those who do a devotional reading say the daily routine is inarguably life changing."
Psalm 42 then comes to mind:
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
The deer desires, needs water daily and is not like a camel. We aren't spiritual camels that commonly go days and even weeks without water. As Christians we need to stay closely connected to our source of water, of life, for us to thrive and grow.

When I pasted the passage for yesterday's verse I ended with Prov. 3:18 regarding wisdom.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.
And where does that wisdom come from? From being in God's Word , learning, and applying it in our lives, ultimately that we will bear fruit.
Thrive where God has planted you.
In Christ,
Mike

Psalm1:1 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;
& nbsp;And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.