This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with a mini-series within it entitled “Focusing on the Word”. We are walking our way through the first half of the first psalm. Let’s get back to it. The Bible says:
(Psalm 1:1-3 KJV) “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
(Psalm 1:1-3 ERV) “Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream—a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.”
Today we will continue to focus in on the line: “he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water”, or “they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The tree described in Psalm 1 is planted right by a river. The water in the river symbolizes the Word of God. Since the tree has a constant supply of what it needs to grow and develop (water), the tree thrives, flourishes and prospers. This is a picture of US when we meditate and medicate on the Word of God day and night.
2. The picture the psalmist paints for us in Psalm 1 is not just of a tree that is planted BY a river, but a tree that makes the most use of the water it has available. You can have the Bible, but if you don’t read and meditate God’s Word, then all the Bibles you have will do you no good. Having a Bible and reading/applying what it says are two different things.
3. God gives wisdom.
a. The Bible says, “Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom.” (James 1:5 ERV). God will freely give you wisdom, but His willingness to provide wisdom does not exonerate you from your requirement to pursue Bible knowledge.
b. The Noah Webster American Dictionary (1828) says that wisdom is the right use or exercise of knowledge. It goes on to say that wisdom, gained by experience, is of inestimable value.
c. Wisdom is basically how to use the knowledge you have. Divine wisdom enables you to properly apply what you know, in order to experience God’s best.
4. While God provides wisdom, He requires YOU to pursue knowledge.
a. The tree planted by the river had to suck up the water. If the tree never tapped into the river, then the tree would die for lack of water, right by a water source. That’s how it is when you walk around with the Bible in your car, office, coffee table, and on your phone, without ever taking the time to read it. You will fail for a lack of knowledge, when the answers you needed were in the Bible you were carrying around.
b. God can give you the wisdom to apply the knowledge you know, but He is not going to simply give you the knowledge. If He did, He would be validating your laziness. You must read the Bible. You must pursue knowledge. You must get the Word down in your heart. Once YOU do, then God will give you the wisdom to apply what you read.
c. If God promised to give us knowledge (and not just wisdom), then we could place the Bible under our pillow and expect Him to transfer the information to us by osmosis. But God never promised to give us knowledge. He promised to give us the wisdom to apply the knowledge we purposely attain.
d. The more Word you have down in your heart, the more you give the Holy Spirit to work with. If you don’t know it, then He can’t bring it to the forefront of your memory. If you never read it, then He can’t help you recall it when you need it. Your job is to read the Word, to meditate it, and to get it down in your heart. Once you do, the Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom to apply it and you will be prosperous and successful.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by giving my attention to Your Word. I read Your Word daily. I meditate it day and night. I medicate on Your Word every day and throughout the day. I hunger for Your Word more than my necessary food. Your Word is life to me. It is health and healing to all my flesh. My job is to get Your Word down in my heart. I put Your Word through my eye gates, and it gets down in my heart. I put Your Word through my eye gates, and it gets down in my heart. Once Your Word is IN my heart, You then give me the wisdom to apply what I read and heard. Your wisdom equips, enables and empowers me to experience divine prosperity and earthly success. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
