Be a Tree

1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 1 (NIV)

Contemplation:

Be a tree.  Have you been busy chasing the dream?  Most of us are.  We live active lives.  We are overworked and over scheduled.  We rest little and do much.  It is interesting how often the Bible speaks of those whose life is in God in terms of plant life.  Plants move little if at all.  The only movement they experience is not from one place to another, but the movement that comes through growth.  A tree grows its roots down deep into the soil.  Its branches grow upward toward the sky.  It is nourished by the environment in which it lives.  

If you want to be strong and healthy, plant yourself deeply in God's ways.  Instead of chasing one goal after another, stand still and watch God work.  The deepest desires God has planted in your heart will come to you.  You will not have to chase them.  People will be drawn to the shade of your branches, the fruit of your limbs, some will build their nest with you for awhile.  They will be drawn to what God is doing in you and through you.  They will learn to grow their own roots as well. Slow down.  Rest in God.  Let him bring to you those things he has called you to.

Question:

Is the movement in your life coming from pursuit of goals or from the process of growth?

Prayer:

Lord, how restless and busy I can be.  Orchestrating every movement of my life is exhausting.  I find little left to invest in my relationship with you.  Forgive me, God, for setting the agenda and asking you to bless my own stubborn plans rather than learning to live the life you have made for me.  Teach me instead to rest in you.  To put my roots down deep in your Word and your Ways.  Overcome my fear of becoming immobile, knowing that you can bring to me everything I need and through me accomplish your redemptive purpose for the world.