“Blessed is the man . . . [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.” Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV) When I go hiking it is easy to spot where streams are. I just look for a row of trees sticking up higher than the surrounding vegetation. These trees are bigger and stronger than the others because they are next to a stream and so they have a consistent source of nutrition.
When it comes to the spiritual landscape I want to be one of those trees growing tall and strong. How can I do that? By constantly embracing and meditating on God’s instructions. We know that Jesus completed the law so now we don’t meditate on the Old Testament law but rather the new “law” that Jesus taught. In fact, everything that Jesus and his Apostles taught are the new commandments of God. When we delight in these words, Scripture, and reflect on them and absorb them into our lives then we will be a strong and fruitful tree. This is what brings joy to our lives and adds to our blessedness in the coming age of the completed kingdom.
