October 20, 2026 -Rooted, Watered and Fed
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
“They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.””
Jeremiah 17:8 NIV
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
I know I have read this many times because I have read the bible many times. And maybe I have commented on this before, but it didn't stick with me. I hope that this time it does. I love the image of the tree planted by a stream of water in Psalm 1 and don't remember the same imagery in Jerimiah that we read today. What does it take to withstand the difficulties of life and faith? When the pressure is on and heat is turned up to get us to turn from God and His ways and walk in the ways of sin what helps us not wear out and stand strong? When we are busy in our ministry and labor for the Lord, how do we not burn out? How do we continue on when we are thirsty for refreshment but it is just not available? When we want to give up, how do we keep moving forward in faith?
We have the answer in these readings, "blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night."
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.””
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV
If the Lord examines our hearts and minds and as we read yesterday there is nothing that is hidden from Him, then we need to keep "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable" (Philippians 4:8) on our hearts and minds. These are the things that should direct our steps. That is the kind of conduct that we want to be rewarded on. How do we do that?
Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:13-14
We need to be continuously in the word of God. We should constantly be pursuing to know and understand His truth. As we do that the simple truths (the milk) should not be enough for us. We should want to study and learn the harder truths (the meat). We should be willing to struggle with the difficult concepts of faith and want to know Jesus on a deeper more significant way. By doing so our hearts and minds are transformed which in turn changes our conduct.
So, plant yourself by the stream of living water that is Christ Jesus. Pursue His truth and hunger for more and more of it. May your heart and mind be transformed by the word of God as you chew on the meat of His word. May your knowledge and relationship with Him grow and deepen so that it might also transform your conduct that you might receive all that your deeds deserve in this world and the next.
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