Blessed is the (Wo)Man

 

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 living water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

Psalm 1 is a wonderful Old Testament glimpse of a theme that Jesus preached throughout His ministry:  the living water that He provides to those who follow Him.  The Psalmist pictures the Christian as a tree that is planted by a river or creek, drawing the living water up through its roots to nourish and strengthen the entire tree.

When I was a child, traveling cross-country with my parents on our yearly vacation, I was fascinated by the landscapes that stretched around us.  We could be traveling through miles of flatness when suddenly there would be a line of trees.  I asked my dad why those trees were there in that exact spot.  He said, ‘Where there are trees, there is water.”

Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water."  The Savior gave this invitation to the Samaritan woman at the well.  This promise is also for you and me today.

Blessed is the Man – Jane Marshall