Psalms 1:3, commentary and pictures

The verse describes the person who delights in God's law, feeds on it daily, meditates on it day and night and obeys it, as a tree planted by streams of water that is deeply rooted and continually nourished, bears fruit at the right time, stays green and flourishing without withering, and prospers in all he does. To be planted is to be rooted in Christ by faith and sustained by Him as the source of strength, and the water is Christ Himself, His grace and the river of life by which the soul is nourished. The fruit borne in its season is strength of character and the graces of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control, shown in a Christlike influence and obedience to all His commandments, while the unwithered leaf means the life remains spiritually fresh, evergreen and beautiful. A holy and fruitful life depends wholly on abiding in Christ and drawing life from Him, for apart from Him there is no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace, and daily prayer and meditation nourish moral and spiritual strength as water nourishes a tree. In contrast to the ungodly who are like driven chaff and shall perish, the true believer remains firm under opposition and testing with stronger faith and brighter hope.

The Planted Tree Described

The one who delights in God's law, makes it the guide and daily food, meditates on it day and night, and obeys it is like a tree planted by streams of water, rooted and continually nourished, bearing fruit at the right time, never withering but remaining flourishing, and prospering in all he does. The same likeness holds for the one who delights in and meditates on the Lord's law as a well-watered tree that bears fruit in its proper season, remains sound, and prospers. To be planted is to be deeply rooted in Christ by faith in order to stand firm, sustained by Christ as the source of strength. With the mind of Christ, keeping all His commandments becomes a delight.

The water is Christ, His grace, the fountain of living water, and the river of life by which the Christian is nourished and kept full of spiritual moisture with life that does not fade. Like a palm drawing nourishment from living fountains to stay green and flourishing in the desert, the believer draws rich supplies of grace from God's love. The tree illustrates obedience learned from nature, where the book of nature and the written word shed light upon each other to teach God's character and the laws through which He works.

The fruit in its season is strength of character and the graces of Christian character — love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control — appearing at the proper time. It is a Christlike influence shown by following Christ's example of goodness and obeying all His commandments, through which the believer becomes Christlike and bears much fruit. The unwithered leaf means the life remains sound, spiritually fresh, evergreen, and beautiful, refreshing in its influence. The promise that whatsoever he does shall prosper means his life and work directed by God succeed because he labors faithfully for an eternal reward rather than seeking only what this life offers.

In contrast to this fruitful, unfading, and prosperous righteous person stand the ungodly, who are like driven chaff and shall perish. Attention to God's law is thus the way to fruitfulness, so that restoring God's law to its rightful place revives primitive faith and godliness among His people. The verse belongs among words to be committed to memory.

Abiding for Spiritual Fruit

Those who cooperate with God's purpose for them are like trees planted and cultivated by Him beside water, bearing fruit in its season, remaining flourishing, and prospering in what they do. The fruit expected is an influence like Christ's own, shown by following His example of goodness and obeying all His commandments, and through this they become Christlike and bear much fruit. A holy, fruitful life depends completely on abiding in Christ and drawing life from Him, for apart from Him there is no life and no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness, just as a branch depends on the vine for growth and fruit. Drawing life from Him by abiding in Him, the believer flourishes, does not wither, and is not fruitless.

The Christian who keeps reaching after God and drinking from the fountain of living water stays full of spiritual moisture with life that does not fade, like a palm drawing nourishment from living fountains to stay green and flourishing in the midst of the desert. Drawing rich supplies of grace from God's love, such a one refreshes others and gives them grace and comfort, and guides weary souls full of unrest and ready to perish in the desert of sin to waters where they may drink and live. Daily prayer for Heaven's blessing and daily prayer and meditation nourish moral and spiritual strength like water nourishes a tree, so that the person grows steadily, stays green and spiritually alive, and bears abundant fruit in its proper season. The one who daily asks God in faith is continually sustained, spiritually fruitful, and fresh in faith, like a tree beside flowing water whose leaves stay green, and those who pray diligently and make their lives fruitful in good works grow in the same way with abundant fruit. A Christian who prays with simple, trusting faith will grow like a well-watered tree with fresh life and fruit in due season, making life a blessing by faithfully using the means God provides and trusting Him rather than yielding to doubt and discouragement.

The sanctified members of the church are living, growing, fruit-bearing trees planted by the Lord, and when believers draw nearer to God and to one another they are trees of righteousness planted by the Lord and watered by the river of life, bearing much fruit. The genuine Christian grows by the rivers of waters of the grace of Christ and is known by usefulness as a good tree is known by the fruit it bears. He does not merely blossom out with a pretentious show of professed godliness but bears fruit with all his might and main, with not a dying twig or barren bough on the whole tree. The fruit is yielded in varieties, in foreign mission fields or in home missions, ripening under the sunshine of the righteousness of Christ, and in bearing much fruit the Father is glorified. In the testing time the true Christian remains firm under opposition and persecution, with stronger faith and brighter hope than in days of prosperity, and obedience brings peace and consolation rather than a life of complaint or distress.

Fruitfulness in Daily Service

The godly physician who receives the truth into the heart and trusts God's wisdom is like the planted tree, fruitful in due season, spiritually strong and unwithered, prospering in the work God directs. The same promise belongs to the young person who keeps God's Word in the heart and follows it, bearing fruit at the right time and prospering in all he does. For apprentices this means remaining prayerful, obeying God, overcoming bad habits, and diligently developing the abilities entrusted to them, and then the life becomes fruitful and prosperous.

Those who rely on God can be fruitful and enduring in work for Him like a tree beside a river, remaining green and bringing forth fruit in season. Even those with limited abilities or low social standing can through Christ's grace and trust in God succeed in winning souls. Strength from God also keeps a person spiritually fruitful and a blessing to others even amid physical weakness and suffering. Trusting Christ to give grace for the work, such a one can still serve young people with words of hope, tenderness, and love.

God's people, churches, and schools are plants of the Lord that need room to grow in order to thrive and produce results. Growth and fruitfulness come from following the Lord's ways by leaving large crowded centers and planting new churches and schools in other localities. Workers, means, and facilities are to be distributed instead of concentrated in one place, and room for agricultural pursuits as part of education helps this healthy growth. Crowding many students and families together and spending extra time, energy, and money on enlarged buildings in one center hinders the work, while obedience in scattering and planting elsewhere causes the tree to grow and yield fruit never yet seen.

Love is a precious tree of heavenly growth, and if nourished and watered continually by the dews of heaven it proves to be an evergreen. Its branches do not decay and its leaves do not wither, because it is immortal and eternal. Its fruit brought forth in its season is mildness, gentleness, forbearance, and long-suffering, being not easily provoked, bearing all things, hoping all things, and enduring all things.