He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaves does not wither; and in whatever he does he prospers.
(NASB, Psalm 1:3)
In growing up, I watched my mom sometimes nurture a kitchen garden which included tomato plants. She was careful to water them and observe their leaves as the color indicated their health. Over time they always grew to be healthy, and we enjoyed the delicious produce.
In contrast, consider an artificial plant. It stays green and there is no nurturing involved, but it does not bear fruit. For those who have a green thumb or would like to be involved in the growth process, such a tree would not be appealing.
Our heavenly father regards us as real trees. When we meditate on His word (Psalm 1:2), to Him we are like a tree planted by nourishing streams of water, we bear fruit and we do not wither from our challenges. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). The father is the great gardener of our lives, but we must also participate in our growth. The word infuses our hearts, minds, and spirits with the cues we need for fruitful actions.
In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and word was God (John 1:1). So, meditating on the word feeds us with more of God who becomes integrated into us to direct our thoughts and actions for something wonderful. No wonder the scripture says that in whatever he does he prospers.
You may not have discovered your green thumb with plants or trees, but you can exhibit it in your own life. The leaves of us real trees, reflected in the satisfaction of our lives, indicate our digestion and application of the word.
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