“.. their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” (Psalm 1)
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. They will be like trees planted by the water. They do not fear when heat comes; their leaves are always green. They have no worries in a year of drought and never fail to bear fruit.”
(Jeremiah 17:7-8)
I live at an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet (over 1800 meters). The flower box on my small porch sits in full sun most of the daylight hours and during the hot days of summer, it only takes one or two days without fresh water for the plants to begin drooping and eventually wither.
The writer of the psalms says that we will likewise lose vitality if we neglect the practice of consistently meditating on God’s word to us in the Bible. Jeremiah, a Hebrew prophet, pictures the individual who confidently trust in the Lord as one who not only survives a drought but even bears fruit during those dry seasons.
What a contrast! We can actually choose to be people with ‘withered leaves’ obviously those who are unappealing and without benefit to passersby, or fruit bearers’ people who nourish others even during difficult days. Advice from our Master Gardener: meditate on God’s word and trust in him.
Lord, drooping plants add no color to the flower-box and without attention, they need to be removed. I don’t want to wither but it’s so easy to forget to drink of the water you provide in your Word. Thank you for providing all I need to have life, but to share that life with others.
By Marilyn Ehle
If you are reading this devotional by email you can respond by clicking on this link:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2015/04/30/me_master-gardner-advice/
