(Psalm 1:1)  “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.”

(Psalm 1:2)  “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

(Psalm 1:3)  “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.”

This is part three of a series of devotions. In the first devotion, “What is Your Motivation for Obedience?” the “delight” for the regenerated child of God is, “in the Law of the LORD” (or in the Love of God; since God’s law is Love). This love being implanted in the believer by the Holy Spirit of God in regeneration (Rom. 5:5b). This love does not originate in the believer; but, by the choice and power of God in the call of the sinner to the knowledge of his Salvation in Christ. (See devotion “What is Your Motivation for Obedience?”)

In the second devotion, “Where is your Meditation?” (or your contemplation or study)?” the “meditation” of the “new creation” in the regenerated man is also “in the Law of the LORD.” The regenerated person’s (or as some style it; the saved man’s) primary focus in his spirit is Christ. This meditation in Christ brings about edification and maturity in Christ for the believer. In turn the enlightened believer bears fruit, more fruit and much fruit of the Holy Spirit. (See devotion “Where is Your Meditation?”)

This third devotion is titled, “What are Your Blessings?” The Psalmist brings to light three “blessings” under the metaphor of a “tree planted by the rivers of water.”

First, “that bringeth forth his fruit in his season”; as all know, there is no fruit production without the abundance of water. The metaphor that the Psalmist uses, “a tree planted by the rivers of water,” draws a picture of a tree that has been planted by the source of water. Without water, the tree will be barren of fruit, and eventually will wither and die. But, this picture of the tree by the source of water projects a healthy and productive tree. Therefore, the child of God whose “delight” and “meditation” is the “law of the LORD” is as a tree planted by the rivers of water, staged to bring forth his fruit in his season.

This statement is loaded with truth:

• The well-watered believer (one who loves God supremely in body, soul and spirit) will bring forth fruit (Rom. 6:21-22).
• The well-watered believer (one whose primary focus is the Word of God) will have the Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).
• The well-watered believer (one whose delight (joy) and meditation (study) is Christ) will, not maybe, but will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit “in his season” (or that is, in his calling and purpose that God has ordained for the believer). It will be in his life time, or in his daily life (Jn. 15:1-10, 16).

Second, “his leaf also shall not wither”; that is, the believer will have super-spiritual health all the days of his life. Many Christians today have “the withered-leaf syndrome”; which means they are not spiritually healthy, and their fruit is not healthy and is drying up on the branches of their spiritual witness of Christ living in them. However, those whose “delight” (or joy) and “meditation” (contemplation) is in the “law of the LORD”  have healthy leaves; which is a metaphor of the believer’s super-healthy spiritual condition in Christ and the super-healthy fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, “and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”; that is, the healthy believer will succeed in his daily life. He will prosper spiritually in his communion and fellowship with Christ; and he will prosper physically in his temporal life. The latter prosperity includes his family, his work, his witness, his health, his wisdom, and his joy, peace, and power in his daily life.

These things are not requirements that the believer must accomplish in his own strength to get God to do for him. No, a thousand times no; for these things are the results of Christ living in the believer. Again, the believer does not do to get; but, he does because he has. Has what? Christ living in him; which means he has by grace been made a “new creature” in Christ Jesus. The fruit of the “New Man,” or the “New Creation,” is (2Co 5:17) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  The “old things” that pass away are the things of “the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22b) (that is the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life; which are of this evil world).  The “all things are become new” are the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The goal of the new man is to love God with everything (Matt. 22:37-40); and he now has a determination to please God in body, soul and spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

The problem with many believers today is not where they were planted; but their total commitment to Jesus Christ with their all. God plants all of His children in the place to succeed (or by the rivers of water). However, the believer is responsible to drink of the water.

In closing, it is not natural for the tree planted by the rivers of water to not drink of the water provided; but, it is the natural progression of the tree to drink of the water provided. Therefore, those who claim to be a child of God; and claim Jesus Christ as their all in all; and are not experiencing the results the Psalmist describes (Ps. 1:3) – then he must begin an examination process of who he is, and of his delight, and of his meditation (2 Cor. 13:5). Let there be no misunderstanding; if you are a child of God and you are not experiencing success in Christ, you need confession and change, or you are headed for chastisement from God (Heb. 12:5-11). If you are having no success in Christ; then, the problem is not God; but the rebellious believer. But, if you are a child of God and are experiencing (Ps. 1:3); then rejoice in the Blessings of God.