Central Truth

When my delight is in God's law, and I meditate with joy on Him, He transplants me into a new place of supernatural blessing and growth. At the same time He protects me from the fleeting insignificance so often experienced in the world.

---

Reflections

I grew up outside of New York City. One summer my father and I found a shoot poking out of the ground in our backyard. I watched as my dad uprooted it and transplanted it to a prominent place in the front yard. Over the years we've returned to gaze on that tree, always remembering the afternoon it was transplanted. Today it is a magnificent tree, 65 ft. tall.

The Hebrew word plant in Psalm 1:3 actually means transplant. This suggests that God cares for us like a master gardener. He took us as a small shoot, a tiny cutting, and He transplanted us into a better place with rich soil. Soon the roots of our life were reaching deep into fertile ground. In time we became a mighty oak or maple.

We also discover that we've been transplanted beside streams of water. The word stream doesn't refer to a natural stream but to an artificial one. This is an irrigation canal! This symbolism suggests that God has provided a continuous flow of supernatural refreshment to sustain our growth.

If we extend this idea to the New Testament, we could say that the stream is the Holy Spirit Who is our source of refreshment.

Jesus put it this way in John 7:37: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' "Now this He said about the Spirit.

So here's the setup: God transplants us to a new place. He gives us the river of His life. As our spiritual thirst is quenched and we grow, we find our deepest satisfaction in Him.

How different from the chaff!

Chaff consists of broken bits of shattered husks. Chaff is driven away like dust in the wind. Chaff is blown into nothingness. We don't even see where it lands.

So there's our choices: the significance of Christ, or the insignificance of the world.

When I reflect on this, my passion surges: I want Christ.

But all this begins with delight in His word.

---

Discussion Questions

1. When have you especially delighted in God's word? What was happening in your life that caused you to feel this delight?

2. How does the notion of God "transplanting" you affect you? Does it help you envision His love? Why?

3. What is your relationship to the Holy Spirit like at this season of your life? Do you experience Him as that river that Jesus spoke about in John 7:37-39?

4. Has there ever been a time when you felt like "Dust in the Wind?" What was going on in your life to produce that feeling? Do you feel more tree-like or chaff-like at this point in your life?

---