Study of the Psalms Chapter 1 verse 3 - wanderean

Psalms 1:3
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.
Ug siya mahisama sa kahoy nga natanum sa daplin sa
kasapaan sa tubig, Nga nagadala sa iyang bunga sa
iyang panahon, Kansang dahon usab dili malaya, Ug
bisan unsa nga ginabuhat niya magamauswagon.

Be: become, or prove. Figure of speech Simile.
tree: Job 14:9; Isa 44:4; Jer 17:8; Eze 17:8, Eze 19:10, Eze 47:12;
Rev 22:2
Planted: settled, fast. i.e. in a garden. Not a "tree of the field".
by: or, “over.”
the rivers: canals for irrigation. Streams. Divisions irrigating a
garden.
bringeth: Psa 92:14; Mat 21:34, Mat 21:41
shall not: Isa 27:11; Mat 13:6, Mat 21:19; Joh 15:6; Jud 1:12
wither: fade
whatsoever: Psa 128:2, Psa 129:8; Gen 39:3, Gen 39:23; Jos 1:7-8;
1Ch 22:11; 2Ch 31:21, 2Ch 32:23; Isa 3:10
shall prosper: literally, “make prosper,” brings to perfection. The basis
of this condition and character is given (Psa 32:1 cf. Gen 39:3, Gen
39:23).

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, where his
roots reach deep down to the hidden reservoirs of moisture, where he
has a never-ending supply of vitality and power, that bringeth forth his
fruit in his season, as the result of a faith grounded deep in the power of
Jehovah, which never disappoints the hopes of the great Gardener
above, Luke 13:7; his leaf also shall not wither, not be affected by the
drought of hostility or adversity; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper, with a prosperity at least in the sight of God, no matter how
little the world thinks of his success. Not an outward good fortune in
amassing the riches of this earth counts in the sight of Jehovah, but the
possession of a trusting faith abounding in real good works.

And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water.

The “planted” word used by the Psalmist is not the ordinary term
meaning to sow or plant, but the poetical and much rarer word. The
same is found in Psa 92:13 —“Those that be planted in the house of
the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” The trees planted
within the temple enclosures would be planted with skill and care.
This tree also is planted in a choice spot, and would therefore be
planted well. It has sprung from no stray seed which the wind may
have wafted hither, or some bird carried and dropped where grows
the tree. And such is true of the man who is really happy and most
happy. He is a tree “of the Lord’s right hand planting.” He is the
offspring of wisdom that is perfect and care that is infinite. And this
fact constitutes part of his joy.

“And he shall be like a tree planted;”
This is the proof of that blessedness of a good man which
he had only asserted, Psa 1:1. He shall be fruitful and
flourishing. By his meditations on the law of God, his
graces and virtues shall be nourished and increased, and
he shall be thoroughly furnished for every good word and
work. The means of grace are those rivers of water near
which the trees of righteousness are planted, and from
these they receive supplies of strength and vigour, but in
secret, undiscerned ways.

The "rivers of water" or "canals of irrigation" so common
both in Egypt and in Babylonia, by which fruit trees were
planted, as especially date-palms, which need the vicinity
of water. That such planting of trees by the waterside was
known to the Israelites is evident, both from this passage
and from several others, as Num 24:6; Ecc 2:5; Jer 17:8;
Eze 17:5, Eze 17:8, etc. It is misplaced ingenuity to
attempt to decide what particular tree the writer had in
his mind, whether the palm, or the oleander, or any other,
since he may not have been thinking of any particular
tree.

A tree by a river has a continual source of water. It will never wither
away, because it is always getting what it needs. If we are
constantly needy, it may be worth examining if we are planted by
the rivers of water or not.
In contrast to a tree that is growing out in a barren wilderness, this
would also be a tree that is strong and stable, sinking down deep
roots. The life of the righteous man is marked by strength and
stability.
Not a wild tree, but “a tree planted,” chosen, considered as
property, cultivated and secured from the last terrible uprooting, for
“every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be
rooted up:” Mat 15:13.

There are also trees that are not planted by the LORD, but
have planted themselves. They claim to be healthy and
fruitful, but they moderate that place, like the Pharisees.
They will be uprooted, as the Lord Jesus says in reference
to them: “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not
plant shall be uprooted” (Mat 15:13).

It is not a tree that springs up spontaneously, but one that is set out in
a favorable place, and that is cultivated with care. The tree planted by
God is not planted just by one stream of water, but by “streams of
water”, plural. The water was distributed in all directions so that even
if one river should fail, he hath another.
We can apply this to what the God-fearing has received in Christ, such
as the blessing of forgiveness and grace, the blessing of promises
through union with Christ, the blessing of fellowship with Christ. These
and many more blessings are streams of water that come to us from
the Word of God when we are planted by it.
The rivers of pardon and the rivers of grace, the rivers of the promise
and the rivers of the communion with Christ, are never-failing sources
of supply.

The tree grows not on some barren waste, but “upon the rivers of
water.”
• The plural term indicates also fullness as well as variety of
blessing in constant circulation round about the roots of the
Christian’s life.
• There is also in it the promise of continuance. If one stream dries
up there are other streams to draw from.
• Another thought is expressed, namely, freshness. “The rivers” are
running streams. Here there is another element of the good
man’s happiness. He is felicitously situated.

that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season

The supremely happy man
It is not said he brings forth fruit, but “his fruit.” Christian activity takes many
forms, and a man will do most good and do it best who is no servile imitator of
another, but who works in his own groove, and in the way most natural to
himself. And there is a beauty and gracefulness about work done after this
manner that always adds to its value. The tree brings forth his own fruit, and the
happy Christian does his own work. The Master gives to everyone his work.
Again, the tree brings forth his fruit in his season. Seasonableness is itself a
virtue. Work done opportunely is the only work done rightly. Here we touch a
leading difficulty in some earnest lives. The question as to when this should be
done, and when that, is the perplexing point. He is therefore a man led of God’s
Spirit, and this leading saves him from the painful perplexity of not knowing what
he should first do and what next. By this means his work is simplified. His duties
come to him in natural order—one at a time. God shows him not only what he
must do, but how, and when. Here is another clement of happiness. A fruitful life
is a happy one.

“that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;”
An interesting thing about unseasonable fruit, it never matures; it
never becomes ripe. You may plant watermelon seeds in August
when you eat your watermelons, and the vine might grow and
watermelons might come on it, but it is unseasonable. It will never
get ripe. It will always be green.
It is not unseasonable graces, like untimely figs, which are never
full-flavoured. But the man who delights in God's Word, being
taught by it, bringeth forth patience in the time of suffering, faith in
the day of trial, and holy joy in the hour of prosperity. Fruitfulness
is an essential quality of: a gracious man, and that fruitfulness
should be seasonable.

The righteous man bears fruit, such as the fruit of the Spirit (Gal
5:22-23). The fruit comes naturally from this tree, because it is
planted by the rivers of water. It is abiding in a life-source. As Jesus
spoke of bearing fruit in John 15:5, as we abide in Him. Fruit also
has a season. Some get discouraged when they begin to walk as
righteous men, and fruit is not immediately evident. They need to
wait until they bring forth fruit in its season.
“There are no barren trees in God’s orchard, and yet they may have
their fits of barrenness, as an apple tree sometimes hath; but they
will reflourish with advantage.” (Trapp)

Fruit is expected, fruit is borne; and it comes also in the
time in which it should come. A godly education, under
the influences of the Divine Spirit, which can never be
withheld where they are earnestly sought, is sure to
produce the fruits of righteousness; and he who reads,
prays, and meditates, will ever see the work which God
has given him to do; the power by which he is to perform
it; and the times, places and opportunities for doing those
things by which God can obtain most glory, his own soul
most good, and his neighbor most edification.

Whose fruit does not fall by the lack of nutriment. The
idea is that of a tree which, at the proper season of the
year, is loaded with fruit (cf. Psa 92:14). The image is one
of great beauty. The fruit is not untimely. It does not ripen
and fall too soon, or fall before it is mature; and the crop
is abundant.

And so appears to be a tree of righteousness, filled with the fruits of
righteousness, the graces of the Spirit, and good works; which are
brought forth by him under the influence of grace, as he has
opportunity, and according to the measure of grace bestowed. His
leaf also shall not wither; neither tree, nor fruit, nor leaf shall
wither, but shall be always green; which is expressive of the saints'
perseverance: the reasons of which are, they are ingrafted in Christ
the true vine, and abide in him, from whom they have their sap,
nourishment, and fruit, John 15:1; they are rooted and built up in
him, and established in the faith of him; and so they hold fast the
profession of it without wavering;

The Result
As a result, fruit emerges from the life of the righteous and it
is “its fruit” which he gives “in its season”. Each tree has its
own fruit and produces it in the season designated for that
tree, no sooner and no later. We can think by “its fruit in its
season”, for example, of the fruit of patience in a time of
suffering and the fruit of faith in a time of trial. In the life of
every believer, the characteristic fruits for that believer emerge
in the circumstances in which he finds himself.

The Result
This also makes it clear that God’s truth is not just knowledge
of facts. God’s truth must be understood in a believing heart.
The fruit then begins to grow in circumstances favorable to
that particular fruit (Psa 1:2; cf. Mat 13:18-23) and will
become visible in due time. The fruit is not that which we
ourselves have produced, but the fruit is “Christ in us”. We see
this in the Lord Jesus’ imagery in John 15. Because we abide
in Christ, we, the branches, bring forth fruit (John 15:4-5).
This fruit comes from the vine and not from the branches. It is
the sap of the vine, which is transformed by the branches into
fruit. It is indeed Christ in us, visible to others.

The Result
The point is that we are in Christ and He is in us. Only
then do we “bear much fruit”, for without Him we “can do
nothing” including bearing fruit (John 15:5). With the Lord
Jesus there is always an abundance of fruit. With us,
some fruits dominate, while other fruits are not so
perceptible or even absent. God’s intention is that the fruit
of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) will become manifest in
fullness in our lives. Paul is a fruit bearing tree. He writes
to the believers in Rome: “I know that when I come to
you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ”
(Rom 15:29).

His leaf also shall not wither

“His leaf also shall not wither;”
Brown, dead, withered leaves are signs of death and dryness. The righteous
man does not have these signs of death and dryness; his “leaves” are green
and alive. It is green and flourishing - a striking image of a happy and a
prosperous man.
His faintest word shall be everlasting; his little deeds of love shall be had in
remembrance. Not simply shall his fruit be preserved, but his leaf also. He
shall neither lose his beauty nor his fruitfulness.
His happiness is not short and transitory, but, like those trees which are
continually green and flourishing.
Compare the contrary threat of Isaiah against the wicked of his time, "Ye
shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water"
(Isa 1:30).

The main thing about a tree is its fruit. But its leaf is also
important, because it shows if a tree is healthy, even if there is
no fruit. Leaves are a symbol of the external, the visible, in
other words, the confession. The one with whom only the leaf
of confession is visible, without any good fruit, will wither
away. But if the Word of God rules in the heart, the confession
will remain ‘green’, full of vitality. The confession of the God-
fearing is in accordance with his fruit. In what he shows and
says, there is no posturing or hypocrisy. In word and deed his
life shows sincerity, freshness and strength.

Now if by the fruit we understand a man’s works, by the “leaf” it will be
natural to regard his words. What a man does and says constitutes his
character. Works have a great importance, but so also have words. “By
thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned.” “His leaf shall not wither”—his words shall not die. “He being
dead, yet speaketh.” Another element of happiness in the good man. The
words of his mouth shall be established, and their influence shall be felt
forever. The tongue is a little member, but how great is the happiness it
may secure for the good man who uses it aright. And in making others
happy one makes himself most happy. “And all that he does shall prosper.”
Here the works and words are interwoven. It is when the two do
interweave and harmonise that there is prosperity. Note, it is not all he
attempts or carries forward so far and there stops that shall prosper, but
“all that he doeth.” And this is happiness supreme—doing good—by work
or word—crowned with prosperity. (Adam Scott.)

And whatsoever
he doeth shall prosper

What is this man doing?
The life of such a person is characterized by success. A
successful life of the God-fearing is not determined by the
amount of his bank account or the prestige he has
acquired among men. “Whatever he does” comes from his
fellowship with God. He knows His will, because he
continually meditates in His Word. He is not after his own
success, but his desire is to glorify God. And he succeeds,
because he draws his life force from the waters of the
Word of God.

What is this man doing?
He is meditating in the law of the Lord day and night. God has
given to us the rules of happiness. God has given to us the
rules of prosperity. They are there in His law. "Whatsoever he
doeth shall prosper." Moses, when he turned the reigns over to
Joshua, said unto Joshua, "This book of the law shall not
depart from out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein
day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all
that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous and then thou shalt have good success" (Jos 1:8).
Meditate, stay in the Word, the law of the Lord, and then thou
shalt be prosperous, you’ll have good success.

“And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
This is a literal statement of what had just been put in a figurative or poetic form. It
contains a general truth, or contains an affirmation as to the natural and proper effect
of religion, or of a life of piety, and is similar to that which occurs in 1Ti 4:8:
“Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of
that which is to come.” This idea of the effect of a life of piety is one that is common
in the Scriptures, and is sustained by the regular course of events. If a man desires
permanent prosperity and happiness, it is to be found only in the ways of virtue and
religion. The word “whatsoever” here is to be taken in a general sense, and the
proper laws of interpretation do not require that we should explain it as universally
true. It is conceivable that a righteous man - a man profoundly and sincerely fearing
God - may sometimes form plans that will not be wise; it is conceivable that he may
lose his wealth, or that he may be involved in the calamities that come upon a people
in times of commercial distress, in seasons of war, of famine, and pestilence; it is
conceivable that he may be made to suffer loss by the fraud and dishonesty of other
men; but still as a general and as a most important truth, a life of piety will be
followed by prosperity, and will constantly impart happiness.

Blessed is the man who hath such a promise as this. … … It is not
outward prosperity which the Christian most desires and values; it
is soul prosperity which he longs for.
It is always healthy; it is extending its roots, increasing its woody
fibres, circulating its nutritive juices, putting forth fruitbuds,
blossoms, leaves, or fruit; and all these operations go on in a
healthy tree, in their proper seasons. So the godly man; he is ever
taking deeper root growing stronger in the grace he has already
received, increasing in heavenly desires, and under the continual
influence of the Divine Spirit, forming those purposes from which
much fruit to the glory and praise of God shall be produced.

Meaning not so much in things temporal… …for in these
the good man does not always succeed, but in things
spiritual: whatever he does in faith, from love, to the
glory of God, and in the name of Christ, prospers; yea,
those things in which he is concerned, that are adverse,
and seem for the present to be against him, in the issue
work for good to him: in short, such a man is blessed with
grace here, and glory hereafter; and therefore must
needs be an happy man.

All his actions, being directed by the word, providence and
grace of God, shall be crowned with success in one
respect or another, (for even disappointments, losses, and
afflictions, shall work for his good,) and with a blessed
effect or end.
For all who take their delight in living by God’s Word,
there is prosperity. Under the image of a fruitful tree, the
psalmist declared that whatever the righteous do will
prosper (cf. 92:12-14).

What richly flowing streams of water are to a tree planted on
their banks, the Word of God is to everyone who devotes
himself to meditating in it. It makes him, in accordance with
his position and calling, always fruitful in good deeds which he
performs at the right time. His inner and outer life remain
fresh and vigorous because of it. Whatever he undertakes, he
brings to a successful conclusion. The cause of this is the
working power of the Word of God and the blessing that God
connects to it.

Two qualifications need to be noted:
First, the fruit, that is, the prosperity, is produced in its
season and not necessarily immediately after planting.
Second, what the godly person does will be controlled by
the Law of God (1:2). So if a person meditates on God’s
Word, his actions will be godly, and his God-controlled
activities will prosper, that is, come to their divinely
directed fulfillment.

The security of this blessedness.
“Planted by the rivers of water.” “Planted” means firmly planted.
“Rivers,” indicate unfailing refreshment of spirit; the streams of
Divine truth and influence. Carnal joys flourish and wither with
changing circumstances, but his joy abides whose life is rooted in
God. “His soul, watered by the streams of Paradise, knows not the
parched season of the sunburnt heath.”—Sutcliffe. “By the side of
the streams in the East may be seen trees, at all seasons covered
with luxurious verdure, blossoms, or fruit; whilst at a distance,
where no water is, may be seen dwarfish and unhealthy trees, with
scarcely a leaf to shake in the winds of heaven.”—Roberts. Thus,
drinking supplies from the living streams of God’s truth, our life is
ever strong and blessed, whilst we faint and fade where no such
water is.

The manifestation of this blessedness.
The godly man is known by the beneficence of his life. “Bringeth forth
his fruit in his season.” The truly blessed life is a life of beneficence;
and if we delight in God’s law, it shall perfect our individual character,
fit us for the sphere and season in which we live, and make us a
blessing to our generation. “As with a palm-tree, all that is in it is
profitable—leaves, wood, and fruit—so also with the Christian, all that
he does is to redound to the honour of the Divine name and the
benefit of his neighbour.”—Starke. The godly man is known by the
beauty of his character. “His leaf also shall not wither.” As the foliage of
the tree is its beauty and glory, so shall delight in the law of the Lord
give grace and majesty to the character. In inner rectitude is the
secret of all true and high visible excellence; out of a heart right with
God spring all the poetry and utilities of life.

The perpetuity of this blessedness.
The tree by the watercourses abides in bloom and fruition, and the
joy and glory which spring in the heart and life of the lover of God’s
Word are perennial and permanent. Our scientific gardeners
enthusiastically anticipate the day when, through special culture, all
our roses will have evergreen foliage, brilliant and fragrant flowers,
and the habit of blooming for a greater part of the year. He whose
life is grounded in the Divine truth and goodness, who draws daily
vitality from the river of God’s pleasure, is an evergreen, and
blooms all the year long, all life long, and death itself cannot blight
his glory, or destroy his joy.

The universality of this blessedness.
“And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” “He shall prosper in whatsoever he
doeth.”—Wordsworth. Deference to the law of God secures universal prosperity.
God’s blessing is on all the handiwork of the godly, and directs it to blessed and
prosperous issues.
“Oh! the blessednesses” of the man who delights in the law of the Lord. As we
long for the beatitudes, let us put ourselves in God’s hands. “Planted by the river.”
“This is properly used of a transplanted tree. He is not left to the efforts of
nature, but taken beneath the gardener’s care, and placed in a favourable soil.”—
Kay. “Man is righteous, not by birth or nature, or through his own power, skill, or
activity, but by the Divine agency, through the means of grace which Divine
mercy has established for us, as a tree planted by an abundant and flowing
brook, if he, like the tree, take up into his own life, from the means afforded him
by God, that which is necessary to his life and growth.”—Moll.

The real effects
That he is planted by the grace of God. These trees were
by nature wild olives, and will continue so till they are
grafted anew, and so planted by a power from above.
Never any good tree grew of itself; it is the planting of the
Lord, and therefore he must in it be glorified. Isa 61:3,
The trees of the Lord are full of sap.

The real effects
That he is placed by the means of grace, here called the
rivers of water, those rivers which make glad the city of
our God (Psa 46:4); from these a good man receives
supplies of strength and vigour, but in secret undiscerned
ways.

The real effects
That his practices shall be fruit, abounding to a good account, Php
4:17. To those whom God first blessed he said, Be fruitful (Gen
1:22), and still the comfort and honour of fruitfulness are a
recompense for the labour of it. It is expected from those who
enjoy the mercies of grace that, both in the temper of their minds
and in the tenour of their lives, they comply with the intentions of
that grace, and then they bring forth fruit. And, be it observed to
the praise of the great dresser of the vineyard, they bring forth
their fruit (that which is required of them) in due season, when it is
most beautiful and most useful, improving every opportunity of
doing good and doing it in its proper time.

The real effects
That prosperity shall attend him wherever he goes, soul-
prosperity. Whatever he does, in conformity to the law, it
shall prosper and succeed to his mind, or above his hope.

Such a life is fed and refreshed.
The law of the Lord is at once soil and stream. In the one aspect
fastening a life to it gives stability; in the other, freshening and
means of growth. Truly loved, that Will becomes, in its manifold
expressions, as the divided irrigation channels through which a
great river is brought to the roots of each plant. If men do not find
it life giving as rivers of water in a dry place, it is because they do
not delight in it. Opposed, it is burdensome and harsh; accepted,
this sweet image tells what it becomes-the true good, the only
thing that really nourishes and reinvigorates. The disciples came
back to Jesus, whom they had left too wearied and faint to go with
them to the city, and found Him fresh and strong. Their wonder was
answered by, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me."

Such a life is vigorous and productive.
It would be artificial straining to assign definite meanings to "fruit" and "leaf." All
that belongs to vigorous vitality and beauty is included. These come naturally
when the preceding condition is fulfilled. This stage of the psalm is the
appropriate place for deeds to come into view. By loving fellowship with God and
delight in His law the man is made capable of good. His virtues are growths, the
outcome of life. The psalm anticipates Christ’s teaching of the good tree bringing
forth good fruit, and also tells how His precept of making the tree good is to be
obeyed-namely, by transplanting it from the soil of self-will to that of delight in
the law. How that transplanting is to be effected it does not tell. "But now being
made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness," and the fruit of the Spirit in "whatsoever things are lovely and of good
report" hangs in clusters on the life that has been shifted from the realm of
darkness and rooted in Christ. The relation is more intimate still. "I am the vine,
ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much
fruit."

Such a life will be prosperous.
That his profession shall be preserved from blemish and
decay: His leaf also shall not wither. As to those who bring
forth only the leaves of profession, without any good fruit,
even their leaf will wither and they shall be as much
ashamed of their profession as ever they were proud of it;
but, if the word of God rule in the heart, that will keep the
profession green, both to our comfort and to our credit;
the laurels thus won shall never wither.

The variety of godly character.
The figure leaves room for the development of varieties of
goodness. True godliness does not reduce men to a dead level. The
variety which God stamps upon nature He means to have
reproduced in character. It is often supposed that, by becoming a
servant of God, a man loses all his distinctiveness, sacrifices many
of his peculiar modes of power, and shuts himself up to a
comparatively narrow range of activity; whereas the truth is, that
no man ever finds out the variety of uses to which the human talent
and power can be put until he begins to work under God’s direction.
(M. R. Vincent, D. D.)

The Divine culture of godly character.
The godly man is not like a tree that grows wild. He is like a tree planted, and that in a place
which will best promote its growth. Godly character is developed under God’s special
supervision, and with God’s own appliances. Has God no other means of revealing His will but
through a burning bush or a stunning shock? His modes of revelation are as many as the
characters and circumstances of men, and as varied; and He does not mean that His lowliest
servant shall work under the shadow of a doubt, whether he is in his place or not. He may make
circumstances, or conscientious judgment, or special dispensations His messengers, but
whatever be the messenger, the message shall be clear to the open eye and the obedient
spirit—“I have planted you.” And if a man is working and growing where God sets him, he is
always within reach of the means necessary for his growth and fruitfulness. He is always
planted by rivers of water. Men find these channels in the most unlikely places, in the most
unpromising parts of God’s garden. In their very work they find something to engage their
energy, quicken their enthusiasm, and develop their power. This is a mystery to men of the
world. They look at the places in which some of God’s servants are planted, and say it is
Impossible they should bear fruit there. Circumstances are all against them. There are no
capabilities in the place. And yet, amid sickness, bereavement, scant opportunities, hatred,
scorn, they not only live, but grow, and have something to spare for other lives; yea, minister
to them most richly and effectively. What is more, they themselves are cheerful and strong, and
grow in sweetness no less than in power. (M. R. Vincent, D. D.)

The fruitfulness of godly character.
It is “His fruit,” not any other tree’s fruit. God gives the tree its
nature, and plants it where it can best develop its nature, and looks
for fruit according to its nature and place. You are not to waste time
in admiring or envying other men’s modes of power, but to give
your whole energy to the development of your own mode of power.
And if your best is only a single fruit you can say, God planted me
that I might do that one thing. (M. R. Vincent, D. D.)

The fruitfulness of godly character.
“In his season.” The seasons are different for different fruits. Some are early, some
are late. Moral growths do not all fructify at the same time or rate. The latest fruit is
usually the best. But, early or late, the fruit of godly character is seasonable. It will be
found that God nourishes His men as He does the fruits of the earth, to meet the
demands of special seasons; and that in each individual character Divine graces
fructify as the occasion demands: courage for seasons of danger, patience for seasons
of suffering, strength for seasons of trial, wisdom for seasons of difficulty; ill short,
the beautiful fitness of godliness is no less remarkable than its fruitfulness. “Shall
prosper.” This suggests the standard of prosperity. It must be measured by God’s rule,
not man’s. I stood last summer in a magnificent hothouse, where the luscious clusters
of grapes were all around and above, and the owner said, “When my new gardener
came he said he would have nothing to do with these vines unless he could cut them
clear down to the stock; and he did, and we had no grapes for two years: but this is
the result.” It did not look much like fruit when the stock stood bare, and the floor
was heaped with cuttings; but the gardener looked over the two years, and saw what
we were seeing and tasting. (M. R. Vincent, D. D.)

Six characteristics of trees.
1. Contentment. I never heard of a tree
complaining. They are perfectly contented with
their lot. Did you ever hear of a maple wishing it
were an oak? They have not so much to make
them contented as we have. The Christ-Spirit in us
will make us happy and contented.

2. Health. How many of you have seen an
unhealthy tree? The perfect boy or girl is the one
who, like the tree, is healthy. We should attend to
these bodies of ours. We should be careful to eat
and drink those things which will give us sound
bodies. We need to keep our minds, bodies, and
souls healthy.

3. Roots. A great part of a tree is underground.
Two reasons for this—to hold the tree in its place,
and to nourish the tree. A perfect man, a perfect
woman, boy, or girl is one who is well-rooted.
Among the roots which hold us stable and keep us
from falling are—
(1) Good habits formed early in life;
(2) good companions;
(3) good books.

4. Importance. Trees are used in building,
furniture, ships, and as medicine. Their fruit is
important. The perfect man is important to society,
to home, to national life. What should we do
without the ideal man and woman?

5. Symmetry. The word means “perfectly balanced
in all its parts.” Some trees have perfect
proportions. There are men who have only
attended to physical development; others only to
intellectual development. The symmetrical man is
one who has attended to the development of the
mind, body, and spirit.

6. Trial. A mighty oak is perfect, because it has
been tried. Tempests have swept over it, but still it
stands. The perfect man, woman, boy, or girl is the
one who, when tempted and tried, comes off the
victor. Tried, weighed, and not found wanting,
Tried and found to be sound. (Frank S. Rowland.)

Christian development
Each is gradual The growth of the spiritual life is in the
nature of the case slow, because it consists chiefly in the
formation of habits of faith, hope, love, prayer, inward
conformity of the soul to the will of Almighty God.

Each is mysterious. We cannot understand the mysterious
processes which pass within the soul; we can only see the
outer life, the words and the actions, which are the
products of the feelings engendered by grace. As a tree
requires soil, sunlight, moisture, and space for its proper
growth, so the human soul requires certain ascertainable
conditions, without which growth and development are
impossible. I will mention three.

The life of the soul should be based upon principles. They are the soil
of the soul. Sentiments, opinions, and views belong to quite a different
strata of mental life from the possession of principles. Principles—what
are they? They are the basis of truth on which the understanding must
lean if man is to rise to the destined tether of his greatness. The
understanding is the basis faculty of the character, but the
understanding itself must rest on something. And what is it to rest on
if not on sound principles? This is true in science, in art, in speculation,
and in religion. Some principles are natural. Seeing the difference
between right and wrong; recognising the eternal law of justice and
righteousness, these are natural principles. Some belong to grace,
they are revealed, such as that Jesus is God equal to the Father, and
that Jesus is our Judge. Sooner or later a principle brings forth its fruit
in due season. But you may have long to wait for it.

Christianity must expand. It must expand by love. The heart
is the centre of life. The heart may be corrupted through
being fixed on false objects, or it may be closeted up. Either
of them is a misfortune so great that we can scarcely think
less of it than that it is very ruining to character. Ascertain
the object on which the heart is fixed and you have
ascertained the direction in which moral and spiritual life is
moving. One condition of the development of the soul is the
discipline of the will. The will is the summit of the character,
just as the heart is at its centre, just as the understanding is
at its base. (Canon Liddon, D. D.)

Study of the Psalms Chapter 1 verse 3 - wanderean

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