Page 59 - Living light - The Psalms

Wednesday August 7 - Watered and fruitful
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit
in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 1:3
I once lived in central London. There was very little greenery around (it was the only London borough without a park) but there was one road which was shaded along its length by willow trees. The willow tree needs a lot of water to thrive, but where was the stream? The answer was that there was an underground river providing refreshment to these beautiful trees.
I sometimes use the image of these trees in my sermons. Without the trees you would not have known that there was a river there, and yet the power of the refreshing water was so great that the trees could not help but grow and flourish.
In John 7:38 Jesus talks about ‘streams of living water’ flowing out of the believer’s heart. To live in the power of the Holy Spirit is both to be refreshed by God, and to provide that refreshing power to those around us.
The refreshing water of God’s spirit leads to our flourishing, and our flourishing leads to fruitfulness. We are not blessed by God in order to keep that blessing to ourselves. It is by our fruits that we are known as Christians. Perhaps we should ask ourselves whether, like those London trees, God’s invisible work of grace is made visible in our lives and, if so, where the fruit of that blessing might be.
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit in my life. May the Spirit’s life be seen in all that I do. Amen.
Thursday August 8 - Here today, gone tomorrow
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Psalm 1:4
In traditional agriculture the farmer would thresh the ears of corn so that the edible kernel (used to make flour) could be separated from the inedible husk (also called chaff). As the kernel was heavier than the chaff, the farmer would toss everything in the air and allow the wind to blow the useless chaff away. The kernels would fall to the floor and then be collected in order to make them into bread.
It is such a vivid image that it’s not surprising that it’s used more than once in the Bible. Those who have weight through faith and integrity fall into God’s kingdom. Those who are weightless and insubstantial, even though they may be rich and prosperous, are simply blown away.
Sometimes it may not feel to us to be quite that straightforward. Next week’s psalm, Psalm 37, addresses the concern that the wicked actually seem to be doing all right! Sadly, the world today has plenty of examples of terrible men who have prospered and whose rule over their countries seems endless.
The Bible encourages us to look at life through an eternal perspective. The wheat and the chaff seem inseparable to us, but when Jesus comes in his glory those who have lived faithfully and placed their trust in him will be revealed, and the wicked will be no more.
Lord Jesus, give me the eyes of faith to see your eternal purpose, even in the midst of difficulty and injustice. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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