Psalms 1:3 (KJV)
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
This is, of course, preceded by Psalms 1:1-2 (KJV):
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
The key to the passage is verse 2: delighting in and meditating upon the Word of God. The implication is depending upon and trusting in it rather than in the counsel, way, and seat of the ungodly.
Here’s my thought: if we delighted in and meditated upon the Word of God as God encourages us to do, we would likely not need to depend upon the counsel, way, and seat of even the godly.
What I think I see happen so often is that those who do not want to delight in the Word of God, but believe they ought to, find themselves depending upon those who do delight in and meditate upon it.
Whole ministries, and in fact movements, get built upon ministering to the needs of those who choose to lean on the few who are obedient.
I’m not sure ministry was ever meant to be built this way.
- Those being ministered to should never remain so spiritually needy.
- They should be like trees planted by the rivers of water.
- They should bring forth fruit in their season.
- Their leaves should not wither.
- They should prosper in what they do.
That is the picture Psalm 1 gives of the man who delights in the law of the LORD and meditates upon it day and night.
Ministries, and movements, have always deteriorated when they become based upon ministering to spiritually dependent people.
Our goal is to reach and equip, not to constantly prop up. Strong believers grow strong churches.
And if this were the case, the work of the ministry could focus more fully on evangelism and equipping rather than constantly having to bolster the faith of those who profess to have it.
#Psalm1v3 #WordOfGod #ChristianGrowth #BibleMeditation #DailyVisitwithGod
Rooted in the Word: Strong Believers Grow Strong Churches
Are you rooted in the Word of God—or depending too heavily on someone else to keep your faith strong?
Psalm 1 shows us that the believer who delights in God’s Word should become stable, fruitful, and spiritually strong.
What do you think? Have churches sometimes become too focused on propping believers up instead of equipping them to stand strong in Scripture? Leave a comment below.
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