Finding the water of life
Fiona Reynolds
September 13, 2019
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Psalm 1 (ESV)
1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Plants are utterly amazing: their leaves move to seek out the sun and their roots to seek out water. They know, in every cell of their structure, what they need to flourish and they will do their utmost to get it. If only we were wired in a similar way…
Many of us know what we need to thrive, yet we shun it for other pleasures: chocolate tastes better than lettuce; cars are easier than bicycles; films more interesting than the Bible. Like the plant, we need to somehow change our structure, our lifestyle, to access what we most need, and such fundamental change is costly and hard. Yet, when we try it, we reap the rewards. We find what it is to flourish.
God of abundance,
why is it we struggle to live well?
why is it we keep straying from the path of wholeness?
why can’t we keep our minds on you, day and night?
why do we prefer to scoff at others?
For when we rest our weary souls in your grace
we find ourselves replenished,
renewed,
inspired,
made whole;
Yet it seems such an effort.
Merciful God,
we are in dire need of your abundance,
not just of the gifts of life—food, water, shelter, love—
but of the wisdom and discipline to discern the life-giving,
to choose the life-giving,
to stick with the life-giving,
not just for a day, a week or a season,
but for all the precious moments of our life in your creation.
Come, gracious God,
be gentle and generous with us,
guiding us as a shepherd guides his sheep,
so we might prosper and bring forth the fruit of abundant life,
in your name, AMEN.
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