Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. 8. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”
Psalms 1:1-4
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Let us talk about this type of tree for a moment
What does it mean to be a tree planted by water?
Psalmist reflects that when one is planted by the river, he is bursting with fruit and does not wither, just like a well-watered tree. As is you know, most tree roots need air as much as they need water. If they do not get air, they will die.
How do you tell if a newly planted tree has enough water?
After digging 5-7 inches beneath your tree, grab a handful of soil and pay attention to the condition of it. A properly watered tree should have cool, moist soil. A Christian believer who maintains a pure relationship with God does not waver during the storm but instead continues to bear fruit as in Galatians 5:22.
The two main ways in which one can remain strong in the Lord regardless of much evil in the world?
1) Choose the Right Path
In Psalm 1:1 we learn that happiness comes by choosing to walk on a righteous path. This determination is directly connected to other people. We need to avoid the negative thinking type of people who are always against the Word of God. Choosing the right friends will make all the difference in your life.
Notice what this verse again says: “Blessed is the man that walketh NOT in the counsel of the ungodly.” Choosing the righteous path includes refusing advice from those who hold godless values and whose moral choices violate the laws of God.
The second line goes a step further: “nor standeth in the way of sinners.” It is one thing to listen to wicked counsel. It is another to decisively side with that viewpoint. Instead, the happy person refuses to follow the worldly crowd. You don’t see him “hanging out” with those who pursue sin as a lifestyle.
Finally, he refuses to sit and associate with those whose conversations mock and curse God: “nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” If you want to be miserable, make your best friends those who are scornful, critical and disrespectful.
A pattern of evil choices causes a downward spiral in character that leads to destruction.
Let Jesus Christ be your best friend. John 15:7 declares, “If you abide in me and my Words abides in you, you shall ask whotsever you desire and it shlla be given you”
2) Hunger for God’s Word
Psalm 1:2 declares that happiness comes by developing a strong appetite for God’s Word. We learn to enjoy the Bible by nurturing the disciplined habit of meditation.
God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success”.
Meditation involves a 24/7— “day and night”—focus on the Scripture. This means seeking to understand the Bible’s meaning as well as its application to you personally.
Holy Spirit makes the Word of God satisfying to the soul of man. The Scriptures are “sweeter than honey” (Ps. 119:103) and “more to be desired [desirable] are they than gold” (Ps. 19:10).
What is meditation as in this context?
In some contexts, the word meditate can be translated to groan or moan. It conveys the idea of muttering. Perhaps you know someone who walks around mumbling to himself. We tend to view such behavior as socially odd. But the reality is that all of us talk to ourselves inside our heads all the time. There is a mental discussion going on continuously. Some people simply express parts of their dialogue audibly. This mental conversation is meditation. God blesses us as we mull over His words day and night.
The reason this way of life makes one so happy is because it fulfills the purpose for which we were created. God’s first command to man was to “be fruitful” (Gen. 1:28). Psalm 1 describes the happy man as being “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Ps. 1:3).
Fruit bearing is the result of deep roots’ finding an abundant supply of nourishment from underground streams of water. God’s Word is an all-sufficient, eternal supply of empowering grace for all of life. Even during difficult, seemingly barren times, the Word will sustain a life.
A fruitful life is a blessed life. So David states that God’s way to happiness is being separated from the world, saturated with the Word, and fruitful and successful in doing God’s will.
How do you describe someone who is blessed?
He / She is divinely or supremely favored; fortunate: God wants us blessed with a strong, healthy body; Read 3rd John 2.
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