Planted by the Stream

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water. Psalm 1, verse 3. Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Planted by the stream was written by Karen Pimpo and read by Tony Collier. Psalm 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, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. 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. Not so the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Planted by the stream. Written by Karen Pimpo. Bill is an older, retired gentleman who lives alone and recently had to give up driving. He needs help to pick up groceries, prescriptions, and get to church on Sundays. But you know what, says Bill, I love my days at home. I enjoy free worship music online and Bible teaching on the TV all day long. Bill spends his days surrounded by scripture, prayer, and praise. The habits we keep influence where our hearts are planted. Psalm 1 describes the habits of someone who has found favor in God. They delight in His truth, meditate on it often, and therefore do not follow the rebellious pattern of the world. Hardship will come to everyone, but a life established in the ways of God is like a tree planted by streams of water, whose leaf does not wither.

Depending on our season of life, we might not be able to spend hours a day in Bible study. However, Jesus said He satisfies anyone who is thirsty that comes to Him, and the Holy Spirit fills his followers like a river. We can steep our hearts in living water through praise and scripture, and also through caring for others, talking to God while we work, and asking for forgiveness when we mess up. Following the wisdom of God plants our hearts in fertile soil.

That life gets called righteous, and God watches over it. Let's pray. Lord, help us to delight in Your truth and plant our hearts in the fertile soil of Your wisdom. May we draw strength from Your living water, growing in righteousness as You watch over our lives. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. What habits keep you planted by the life-giving water of Jesus? How does that change depending on what season of life you're in?