Editor’s Note: This is post 5 of 6 in a weeklong series on Psalm 119. Click here for more.
Today, after you pray for God to meet you in the text of Psalm 119, add the six verses of Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17:7-8 to your reading time. Yes, it’s going to take you a little extra time to read today, but like a lion chasing down its prey and purring in delight as the nourishment is consumed, running after and meditating on God’s Word will help you to flourish in this life. Every moment in His Word is a gift to your soul.
As we delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it throughout the day and in the watches of the night, Psalm 1 says we are like a tree planted by streams of water. The leaves of this tree do not wither, and it is fruitful in its season. Jeremiah 17:8 says these leaves remain green even when the heat comes. Even in a year of drought when no water will nourish its roots, this tree continues to bear fruit.
Think of the well-rooted trees in your neighborhood. They survive the coldest winters, stand firm in wind storms, endure record-breaking temperatures when rain is a distant memory, and continue to bear fruit in its season. And yet, God tells us we can be even more resilient than these trees when we are rooted in His Word.
In Psalm 119:11, the psalmist says he has stored up God’s Word in his heart. Why? So that he might not sin against God. Just as a tree stores up nourishment in its roots, so we too can store up God’s Word in our hearts for the day when all life around us is withering. May we open our mouths and pant in longing for His commandments (Psalm 119:131) that they might strengthen us (Psalm 119:28).
— Jaime Sherman
Key verses: Her delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law she meditates day and night. She is like a tree planted by streams of water… Psalm 1:2-3
Questions to ponder: As you review Psalm 1 and 119 along with Jeremiah 17:7-8, look for how the psalmist describes his rootedness in God’s Word. How have you seen the fruit of storing up God’s Word in your heart? Hint: Yesterday we talked about full-body obedience. How can you live this out in your own life?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, guide me that I may not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the seat of scoffers. May my delight be in your law, and may I meditate on it throughout the hours of my day. Make me that well-rooted tree that is flourishing, and keep my eyes fixed on You through the storms of this life.
Here’s a song you might enjoy listening to today from Psalm 119: Flourishing by Sandra McCracken