The righteous person is like a tree planted by streams of water. That image holds so much: stability, nourishment, sustained growth, productivity even in seasons of dryness.
A tree doesn't force itself to grow or perform through will. It grows because it's planted in the right place, where water flows steadily. Its roots access nourishment on a schedule it doesn't control. It simply drinks what's available and becomes what water makes it capable of becoming.
I've been thinking about spiritual growth all wrong sometimes, trying to manufacture it through discipline and effort. This psalm suggests something different. It's about being in the right proximity to sustenance. If you're positioned near the water, drinking regularly, the growth happens naturally. The tree doesn't have to convince itself to produce leaves. It just does, because it's been planted where it can thrive. That's what it means to delight in God's law and meditate on it day and night. You're positioning yourself near the source. Growth follows.
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