Good morning,
Planted by Streams of Water
When we were driving through southern California a while back, I was struck by how completely dry and empty the area was. Underneath all the glamour and glitz, it’s just a parched desert, dependent on water brought in from other parts of the state. But people have built a place of frantic entertainment and distraction on top of these sands that we call Hollywood.
I was reminded that our hearts sometimes look just like this. Spiritually we can be as dry as a desert and rather than turn to the Creator to rain his grace into our lives, we turn to others to try to fill the void. We end up building lives marked by frantic hard work, meaningless (or worse, selfish and sinful) leisure, and we never address the real problem.
King David spent a great deal of time in a literal desert, running from Saul. From this perspective he writes about what is truly important. Psalm 1 starts by saying, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” In Psalm 63 David clearly states, even celebrates, that his refreshment and provision only come from his relationship with God.
How often I have fallen into the trap of not seeking God in my dry and weary times, how easy it is to want to give up when I have walked away from his good grace and love. But Jesus calls us back to him, he calls us to come and find rest in him.
In contrast to the Los Angeles desert, the deep woods of Arkansas and Missouri states are characterized by people living a slower, richer life. Water is everywhere, sometimes there’s way too much of it. But green things just seem to grow all by themselves, exuberantly and wildly.
This week let’s stop trying to chase all the neon signs and man-made goals for our ministries and come back to that river of life, come back to the real source of our strength so he can reign again and we don’t want to give up, we want to draw deeply on him and be filled with his love and joy!
Psalms 63:1-5 1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land
where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you! 4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.
Tim Wisner (guest author)
