STAY PLANTED IN THE WORD OF GOD

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

Proverbs 31: 12 – 13

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night, He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers

Psalm 1: 1 – 3

Dear Lord, thank you for blessing me.  I renew my commitment to you today not to walk with the wicked, stand with sinners, or sit with mockers.  Holy Spirit, show me anyone or anything in my life that would lead me in the wrong direction.  Help me to find my delight in the study of God’s Word by granting me insight.  Bring it to life for me as only you can.  Teach me how to meditate on Scripture, revealing those passages you want me to focus on.  I’m so glad I have you as my personal Bible tutor.  Thank you for promising that as I stay planted in the Word, I will be like a tree that yields its fruit in season.  I want to be fruitful and to prosper in whatever I do.  Now I know the secret: meditating on God’s Word.  All that I have to do is remain in it.  Help me, Lord! Amen.

The Proverbs 31 woman brings good, not harm, to those who love her – including her Heavenly Father and her earthly family.  That doesn’t happen by accident.  This week’s memory verse tells us she works with eager hands.  If we are to become capable, dignified, and virtuous women, it will take a lot of hard work over the course of many years.  And it will mean persevering even when we don’t see instant results.

Consider this.  So often, we’re tempted to look at the blooms or fruit on someone else’s “tree” and feel frustrated or indignant.  Why are they prospering when we’re not?  Is it a mystery? Sometimes yes. However, for the most part, the world makes sense. It’s governed by basic laws like cause and effect, sowing and reaping, and so on.  Of course, there are exceptions, disasters, and mysteries.  But exceptions are exceptions, disasters are rare, and most of life is not that mysterious.  Typically, we reap what we have sown.  Things happen for a reason.

God’s Word says that a person who meditates on Scripture – who remains faithful and sinks deep roots into the living water – that person will prosper in season.  However, in season may not mean next week.  That’s the problem for most of us.  We want instant results.  But the picture of God isn’t instant.  A tree begins as a seed planted in the ground. It’s watered and nurtured, day after day, without any visible results.  That’s when so many of us are tempted to give up.  Years pass before it yields fruit and even then, only in season.

The person who will be blessed is the one who stays planted, who sinks her roots deep into the soil of God’s Word.  Let me urge you to become a more serious student of the Bible – to study, memorize, and meditate.  As you do, God has promised something: you will yield fruit in season. Everything you do will ultimately prosper.  The Proverbs 31 woman didn’t become God’s ideal woman overnight and neither will we. But eventually, she became the kind of woman everyone honored – a woman clothed with strength and dignity – and so will we.

Affirmation: I study God’s Word so my life is fruitful: everything I do prosper.

Spend some extra time reading and studying God’s Word today.