How to be a tree

1. He doesn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly.
The man who is blessed doesn’t take advise from those who aren’t! Literally he doesn’t ‘walk in their advice’. What are the sources of advise in your life as we all have them. Do we ‘walk’ in advice that isn’t helpful to us? The latest news or trends, how to get rich quick or succeed in life? Even the latest Christian fad or celebrity? We have to be careful who are friends are.

2. He doesn’t stand in the path of sinners.
This is going one step further. From walking in advice that isn’t helpful to standing in the path of sinners. If you stand in the path of a truck you’re going to get hit! Don’t stand in the path of sinners and then complain when things go wrong. Get out of the way of the truck!

3. He doesn’t sit in the seat of the scornful.
The lowest form of wit is mockery. It’s the easiest thing in the world to sit and criticise and mock and scorn. Don’t sit in that seat. Don’t be the one who says it will never change or ‘there’s no hope’ or ‘I can’t do it’. Be a God-believer as with Him all things are possible.

But if that’s what he doesn’t do where are the positives? Read on!

“His delight is in the law of the LORD and in his law he meditates day and night.”

One answer to all this. Listen to God’s advice, stand in His path and sit where He sits. Focus your thoughts and attention on God, on what He says and what He does, His principles and His word. Let it be your meditation, the thing you think on when you have those 5 minutes, when your brushing your teeth or waiting at the lights. Why?

Because if you do that you’ll become like a tree! You’ll plant yourself by the rivers of water, by the rivers of God. You won’t be moved and you’ll drink deeply of His river, of His life.

It may not look like anything is happening but look what it says next. When it’s time, when it’s the season the tree will ‘bring forth fruit’. God has a time for you, it may not be now but he has a time for you to bear fruit. Will that happen automatically? No, you need to prepare, you need to be planted, you need to drink that water up. It can take years for a tree to fruit but without those years of growing and watering it wouldn’t be ready to do so.

What about the tough times? “Whose leaf also shall not wither.” Even in the valley and through the rains and storms the tree planted by God’s river will stand strong and firm. And sometimes those times will be the making of the tree so it is ready to bear fruit.

Don’t worry about whether you’re doing the right thing or whether you’re in the right place. Christians can get very hung up about finding God’s will. What does Psalm 1 say? “Whatever he does shall prosper.” It’s more important that you’re planted in God than about having the right job. God can prosper you where you are if you stop fretting about whether you’re in the right place and start meditating on God’s law.

If you don’t choose this way. Well, you’ll get blown away like the chaff, you won’t stand a hope of standing strong so don’t kid yourself that you can do it in your own strength.

The LORD knows the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Selah.