“Happy is the man [whose] delight is in the Lord‘s instruction. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears fruit in season and his leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3
It's always been a desire of mine to be planted. A flourishing tree with God as my sole award winning Gardener. Oftentimes I can confuse being planted with being stuck. Yet, planted and stuck are vastly different.
Planted means being rooted and grounded in Jesus alone. It is to delight in His instruction. I am happy to follow where He leads because my life is planted in Him. He is not a place or position, He is a person—and He lives in me.
Stuck is where I find myself when I have planted my life in the wrong things—anything other than Jesus. Things like people, position or accomplishments.
When I’m planted in the wrong things, I find it hard to obey God fully. I make excuses as to why I can’t say yes to Him based off my current responsibilities. I can get stuck for a decade in a season that was meant to last a few months if I’m rooted in the wrong thing.
It‘s at times like these that God steps in, gently reminding me to be planted in Him alone so that I can respond in active obedience when He asks.
Remember:
Past acts of obedience were never meant to replace obedience in your present.
You can’t use what God said in your yesterdays to excuse disobedience today.
Here we are, the first day of February 2022 and as God is my witness, I want to live a flourishing life. One that takes joy in full-on obedience to God. One that loves and serves others well. That lives a life of honor and integrity. That can lay down my self interest for the interest of others.
As I grow older I'm convinced that obedience is the most important decision I could ever make before God, and it’s so much easier to love and obey Him when you are planted in Him.
”May February 2022 be filled with delight in the instruction that God gives you. May your life flourish like a well watered tree.”
Photo Credit: Gary Barnes on Pexels
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