Choose Well!

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 their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.

Psalms 1:1-6

Close to my childhood home was a large wooded reserve. My buddies and I scrambled over its deer trails with daypacks weighed down by juice boxes and sandwiches. We fancied ourselves explorers, naming such things as hilltops (Mt. Baldy, because it lacked trees), creeks (Creepy Creak, because it had dark pools with giant catfish in them), and ponds (Jake’s Swimming Hole, because Jake tied up the rope for swinging and dropping into it).

But I was drawn to the trees. There were redwoods as tall as skyscrapers, pine trees that rained down cones shaken loose by a sudden gust, and then there were the oaks. I liked them the best. They stood as proud elders, with great limbs, reaching out, reaching up, while twisting and turning, creating a spectacular presence where they happened to grow.

I like to imagine the author of Psalm 1, traditionally attributed to David, as he crafted this poem. He must have gazed upon such trees and been struck by their strength, beauty, and sheer gravitas. “That presence! That strength!” He must have thought. Such a tree is like the person who chooses the path of the covenant of God. Roots sunk deep into the word of the Lord, drawing up the nurture of the Spirit, growing steady and strong, giving shade and showering fruit (acorns) over the land where they are planted.

And then David’s gaze must have turned to lesser stalks, scorched by the heat, wind-blown, and trampled by foragers. David thought of the ones who choose the path that opposes God and scoff at his magnificence and mock his ways, leaving them high and dry, and blown away like chaff by the winds of time.

And so, too, the book of Psalms leads off with what must come first, what our lives are founded upon. Because there are only two choices: the way of torah, the covenant of God, or the way that opposes God.

One of these paths will grow you into a remarkable tree, strong, sturdy, giving shade and shelter, fruit and beauty; and the other leaves you rootless and shallow, wilting until you fall into decay.

Which will it be?

BIBLE PASSAGE:

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but 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 their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you think the path of God is chosen just once in life or daily? How do you know which path you are on? Is the fruit you are bearing feeding those around you or poisoning them? If you are on the wrong path, why not move to the right path today?

PRAYER: Gracious God, give me the courage to choose you and follow your way. Ground me in your word that I might sink deep and strong roots and grow tall in your will for my life. Empower me, I pray, to bear fruit that feeds others with goodness and draws them closer to you. Amen.

P. S. from Marcus Goodyear, acting Editor-in-Chief: Dave Peterson is on vacation for two weeks, and I have asked George Cladis to fill in for him. George is a wonderful pastor who has worked with The High Calling for over a decade, contributing regularly to our sermon notes series and even serving on our board of advisors several years ago. We know you'll enjoy his insights into Scripture this week.