Psalms 1:2–3

"Planted" — not a wild tree, growing from seed scattered at random by the wind and landing anywhere — but planted. A skilful eye picked out the right spot. A careful hand cleared away everything that would hinder the growth of the tree planted there in rich soil, with every advantage of watchful care that could be given to it.

The fruit-tree is not a natural growth of the soil: a Hand has planted it, and that among the divided streams of an irrigated land.

The word for "the rivers of water" in Ps. 1:3 comes from the root meaning "to divide." Refreshment flows in where whatever would block its entrance is cut apart.

Underneath the ground the great tree sends out its main roots. Each one has countless tiny rootlets searching in every direction for moisture. In time they reach the wet river-bed. Then every hair-like filament becomes a hungry mouth, taking in as much nourishment as it can from the damp soil… Cut off the supply of water, and the tree must wither and die. Give it too little, and the fruit becomes poor and scarce, while the leaves turn from bright green to dull brown.

Notice who this is said of: the man meditating day and night on Jehovah's law. The Spirit of God acts through the word of God, and there is no other way than this. To handle the Word without the Spirit is only rationalism. And the dream of the Spirit ministering apart from the Word is delusion and fanaticism.

Nothing about it comes too early or half-formed. Truth has to be digested and taken in. But the activity and energy of life are there, and progress day by day… The tree does not produce the fruit for itself. What we find in ourselves is not the point; what the Lord finds is.

More than this, the tree is a fruit tree, producing fruit in its proper season, for there are times of rest also as the fruit is developing.

Fruit is first in importance, then the unwithered leaf, which we may take to illustrate testimony. Fruit is for God; testimony is given to others around us. Actions and words that commend Christ in the eyes of others are the green leaves of testimony. But if there is no water there will be no greenness.

We have a nature given to us that can live, and does live, when everything around is death. We are like plants set to bud and blossom for the pleasure of our God in a scene where there is everything to grieve His Holy Spirit.

Judged by any human or earthly standard, this statement does not seem to hold at present. The psalmist himself cries, "You have renounced the covenant with your servant… You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins." Christ Himself says, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity." So "in all that he does, he prospers" is not an absolute promise, fulfilled in every sense, in every case, at all times… The very presence of the ungodly, and even of scoffers, implies a testing time for the faithful. Instead of the godly man prospering in all he does, it seems as though the wicked were in prosperity and the godly persecuted and forsaken. But this is only for the present. A judgment is coming which will remove the ungodly; and then of each such person it will indeed be true: in all that he does, he prospers.

But where was this character, called blessed and owned by Jehovah, to be found in perfection? Surely the blessed Man of Psalm 1 is Christ. In His lowly path He was the perfect example of the godly remnant, who are found everywhere in the Psalms.

While His sufferings and death seemed to be His defeat, this was a sacrifice He accomplished that has prospered amazingly in the salvation of countless souls. So let us not be discouraged by any troubling setbacks, for whatever God enables us to do for Him will prosper: "in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).