Blessed is the man that worketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of sinners. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night, and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalms 1:1-3

As I've no doubt said before, I never cared much for working out in a cornfield, especially on hot summer days. One of my least favorite things to do was pulling weeds. Some of those suckers had roots so deep it was all I could do to pull them out of the ground; more often than not I'd fall back on my bee-hind when they gave way. Others came out with barely a tug. Their roots were shallow. Christians are a lot like plants; some have very deep roots, while others hardly have any at all.

One of the sad facts of life in Christian churches is that few members spend much time in Bible study, prayer and meditation. As a result, many churches fail every year because they had no strength to withstand change or crisis. Some just slowly decay, and close their doors when the last member dies or moves away, while others disintegrate as a result of splits and conflicts. Still others are dependent on a strong pastor for their existence; when he leaves or dies, the church loses its main reason to carry on. Individual Christians fall away for many of the same reasons; they have no root in themselves to nourish their spirits, and no strength to withstand troubles and trials.

David's faith was anchored solidly in the Law, or Word, of God. Throughout the Psalms, and especially in Psalms 119, he speaks of how vital the Law is to his very existence. He recognized that the strength he enjoyed wasn't his, but the Lord's. He could be unmoving and fearless in the face of attack because he was planted in the soil of the Word. He bore fruit in God's service (many of the Psalms are the result) not because of his own talent and ability, but because of the inspiration he derived from God's Spirit through his Word.

Just as the Word is our source of support, strength, and nourishment, so is prayer the light and air that sustains us and helps us bear fruit. A plant without light will wither and die; the root may continue for long after, but the plant, the tree, ceases to be fruitful. It does no good to have a deep knowledge of the Word if we don't apply it through prayer and meditation. Similarly, a tree may have the greenest leaves in all the forest, but if it's roots die, so will the tree. A healthy plant needs both roots and leaves, nourishment from both the soil and the air. Christians need a complete devotional life, both study of the Word and prayer. Without them, we will wither on the vine, and the Lord will no use for us.

If I leave one thing with you, in all of the 80+ issues I've written, it's this. No matter what you have to do or what changes you have to make, if you're a Christian, develop an ongoing habit, a daily habit, of studying, and meditating on, the Bible. If it takes getting a Bible-reading calendar, and reading the Bible from cover to cover, then do that. Set aside a particular time each day for concentrated prayer. Don't just talk to the Lord; listen to him answer. The years to come are going to get worse and worse for Christians; that's consistent with the Bible's message, and it's apparent from what we see around us. If we're not spiritually prepared for the challenges and stresses to come, Satan will "sift us like wheat." Get anchored to the solid rock!

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JESUS IS the Bridge Ministries

Beneath His Wings Devotionals - Vol. 2