A Norvell Note
Vol. 27 No. 33 August 21, 2023
In Season
“Please turn to page #13 in Heavenly Highway Hymns, and let’s sing.”
I shall not, I shall not be moved
Oh I, shall not, I shall not be moved
I shall not, I shall not be moved
Just like a tree planted by the water
I shall not be moved
“Now let’s read Psalm 1.”
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1 (GNV)
Verse 3 in the Good News Version reads They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time.
In all my years of reading the Psalms (obviously always starting with Psalm 1), my eyes and mind focused on this line “They are like a tree planted by streams of water.” Assuming the message God wanted me to get is to be firm, steadfast, solid, and unmovable, I have put my trust in God and tried to follow him. I know this is part of the message.
This time I saw a different message. Maybe my new insight is because of the heat and dryness in Texas. Perhaps because the grass struggles to stay green (or has already given up and turned brown), the leaves hang limp on their branches, and air conditioners work overtime. Maybe it is because of the heartbreaking scenes of loss and destruction in Lahaina, Maui. Or perhaps it is simply because of where I am in life that enabled me to see something new.
This time the phrase that emerged from the text is that the trees planted by the waters will “bear fruit at the right time.”
I get impatient with the weather. I’m ready for rain. I will be glad when the grass begins to look healthy again. I will welcome a cool breeze. And I will be delighted when the leaves on the trees are healthy and green. I know in due time, that will happen. I understand that even when the grass is brown, it does not mean it’s dead. It’s just the nature of grass to lay dormant. Something is going on that I cannot see. It will come back. And it does. I remember the first year we lived in Texas, mowing thick green grass on Christmas Eve. (I didn’t particularly appreciate that.)
I get impatient with my life. Sometimes, I get bogged down thinking I should have accomplished more with my life. I should be doing more with my life. I should be seeing more results in my life. What kind of results? I am not sure.
So, I find comfort when I realize that the trees represent us, and I read they will bear fruit at the right time. I slow down, feel less restless, and remember that I do not and cannot always recognize or understand how the Lord works around us, within us, and through us.
He reminds us that we will bear fruit at the right time.
But I will bless the person
who puts his trust in me.
8 He is like a tree growing near a stream
and sending out roots to the water.
It is not afraid when hot weather comes,
because its leaves stay green;
it has no worries when there is no rain;
it keeps on bearing fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
He reminds us that whether we know it or not, we keep on bearing fruit.
Thank You, Lord.
Tom
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