A Tree Planted by Streams of Water

"He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither"

Psalm 1:3 NKJV

This week I had the pleasure of leading a course dedicated to reading the Bible, and Psalm 1 was an inspiration in mapping out a course of study. This psalm serves as a preamble to the entire collection, inviting those who are disposed to prayer to perform specific actions: do not walk in the counsel of the wicked; do not stand in the way of sinners; do not sit in the company of mockers (v. 1), but meditate on the Word day and night (v. 2). The man who does this will be blessed, in the sense of “happy and fulfilled” because he is rooted in God (v. 3). If we consider the three invitations, we realize that they all point in the same direction: avoid the company of unsavory individuals who are hostile to divine statutes. Therefore, we must be careful about whom we associate with. I believe that these guidelines also make sense when applied to personal reading. In this sense, who are the wicked, the sinners, and the scoffers?

 If we rely on our own judgment, we may be biased and define some as such rather than others. Only by meditating on the Bible day and night can we have discernment in this matter. The wicked have malice toward mankind: the wicked are those who do evil deeds toward their fellow man. We cannot walk with those who are not interested in the good of others for their own benefit; nor can we share in the actions of those who, in order to seek their own profit, cause harm to society or to citizens in general. It may be those who alter or manipulate a biblical text. The sinner, for his part, performs actions contrary to God's will. Blessed is he who does not stand in the way of sinners. There is a path which, as Jesus defined it, is spacious and leads to eternal perdition. This path has a wide gate and is traveled with pleasure by sinners; everything there seems pleasant, easy, and within reach. You do not realize it, but it is downhill; it leads to the depths, from where it is not possible to climb back up without invoking Christ in time. He who does not believe in the Word.

The mocker, on the other hand, is one who mocks not only the Lord's people but also Scripture. He cannot control his tongue, and a multitude of words come out of his mouth. His attitude tends to ridicule those who believe in the fruitfulness of God's word and listen attentively in order to live by faith. What fruits could spring from practicing such individuals? They are worse than weeds and not easy to eradicate. Blessed is he who does not sit with such people. Sitting is synonymous with familiarity and mutual trust; sitting at the table with someone means sharing not so much food as intimacy. Those who ridicule the Word. Those who question the truth of God's word, mocking the person of Christ and seeking to destroy the Christian faith, have no place at our table. Sitting with them would mean having something in common with them. Those who delight in the law of the Lord will stay away from such people, except when it is an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to them.

In our day, where there is a great proliferation of texts, audio and video material concerning the Bible, we risk always receiving the Word through someone else's commentary. It has become difficult to read it “sic et simpliciter,” without filters. Beyond the aids of annotated Bibles or books on biblical themes, we cannot fail to read the Scriptures daily, plain and simple. Starting from these recommendations makes us like those trees whose roots are planted along the streams of water. A tree near a stream does not need to be watered. Those who meditate on Scripture day and night will have roots that reach down to the source and will not run the risk of experiencing dryness. If our lives and our faith are anchored to the Bible, we will be like trees that bear fruit in their season.

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Weekly Bible Reading Plan #11

March 9, Deuteronomy 7-9; Mark 11:19-33

March 10, Deuteronomy 10-12; Mark 12:1-27

March 11, Deuteronomy 13-15; Mark 12:28-44

March 12, Deuteronomy 16-18; Mark 13:1-20

March 13, Deuteronomy 19-21; Mark 13:21-37

March 14, Deuteronomy 22-24; Mark 14:1-26

March 15, Deuteronomy 25-27; Mark 14:27-53