DAY 4 – Living Refreshed

We can never underestimate the power of God’s word to refresh us. Someone who meditates on it day and night is said to be like a tree planted by streams of water. What a wonderful picture this is. When I think of trees by a riverbank I always picture lush, green trees. When I was growing up I used to travel with my family to a large river and go water skiing. These were always such fun times. The weather was always hot, the river was always refreshing but then the trees that would line the river bank were called ‘weeping willows’. These were large and their branches and leaves would always overhang and touch the water. We would climb these large, overhanging branches and at times jump off these branches into the water. The whole experience was always so joyful.

That’s what happens to us when we read and meditate on God’s word. The more you read it and think about it, the more your heart is filled with joy. You see, the word of God is not natural. It has life in it. It has the power to change you. It has the power to heal you. So many people have such trouble reading the word of God regularly. I believe partly because they don’t understand the supernatural power of it to change your heart and change your circumstances. To them it’s just a book of words. But it is far more powerful than that. The promise is, if you meditate on it day and night you will bear fruit in season, your leaf will not wither and whatever you do will prosper. That’s the power of God’s word. A tree’s leaf is important for photosynthesis. This process cleans our air. It releases oxygen into our atmosphere. What an amazing illustration. The word of God will help ‘clean your atmosphere’. A clean environment promotes life. That’s why Jesus came, to give you life and life more abundantly! The promise of this psalm goes on further to say you will prosper in everything you do. How good is that? This is the heart of our God.

That’s why we need to make sure we are also avoiding spending too much time around people who are not living for God. These are not the unsaved that we should be reaching out to with the love of Jesus but rather, those who know better. Those that are believers who are not living for God and who have become cynical about the word of God, about church and the things of God. These are the people that rob us of our faith and seem to put a dampener of everything we are trying to achieve. Instead, we should be diving into the word of God and let the refreshing streams do a powerful work in your life.

Father, today as I think about your word and the promises that fill the pages of the bible I am encouraged to think this is all for me. As I make the decision to meditate on your word day and night please fill me with your life. Enable me to be fruitful in and out of season and help me to be successful in everything I do.

I ask this in Jesus name.
Amen.