Trees and Chaff

Psalm 1
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,  or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. 4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

As we lean in to all the Lord has for us on this journey of planting seeds of righteousness for the next generation, it may be very easy for us to become distracted by the ways of the world. On any given day, all we have to do is watch TV or check our phones, and it is readily evident that, as Russ reminded us yesterday, there are two different paths we can walk in: the way of the righteous, or the way of the wicked. In Psalm 1, these paths are contrasted, and we see that the righteous and the wicked are radically different, and they have radically different futures!

The righteous are first described by what they do not do: “Follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers” (verse 1). Because Jesus changes everything and has radically changed those of us who follow Him, the righteous are vastly different from the wicked in the way they think, the way they act, and in what their futures look like. The world tells us that “it’s all about you and enjoying the here and now,” “you’ve earned what you’ve got, and it’s yours alone” and “you are the ultimate authority in your life.” Scripture teaches that our stories are all about Jesus and the glory and expansion of His Kingdom and that all that we have has been freely given by God, so we freely choose to submit to and obey Him, because He is worthy of all that we have and all that we are! Then we see what the righteous do and how they are blessed because of it: “they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (verses 2 & 3). A tree planted by a riverbank has a continual source of water; it thrives and doesn’t wither, because it is constantly nourished by what it needs to grow! It is strong and stable, anchored by deep roots and bearing abundant fruit! When we are grounded in the truth of God’s Word, meditating on it day and night, and rooted in the person and presence of Christ, drinking continually from the Living Water, we become strong and stable! We are continually alive in Him and bearing fruit, reproducing by planting seeds of righteousness for those who come behind us!
 
Verses 4 and 5 tell us that the wicked are “like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind;” everything that is true about the righteous, is not so about the wicked. Chaff is the shell around a kernel of grain and must be thrown out before the grain can be made into flour; it is easily removed by throwing the wheat into the wind. It is dead, without substance, easily carried away, temporary. Because the wicked are without substance, they will be weighed in the judgment and found lacking–they won’t share in the glorious future of the righteous. The way of the righteous leads to eternal life, not only for them personally, but for generations that come after them; the way of the wicked leads to destruction. There is a vast difference between trees and chaff; which will you be?

Today, consider what your legacy will be. How do you want your children and their children to remember you? Will they remember you as “great oaks of righteousness that the Lord planted for his own glory” (Isaiah 61:3b)? Are you rooted–daily spending time–in the Word of God and in the presence of Jesus? Are you operating–speaking, acting, making decisions (relationally, financially, etc.)--with an eternal perspective? Consider writing out (or reviewing/revising, if you already have one) a purpose statement for your life/family. Then, create an action plan for the steps you need to take to walk that out in day to day life together, so that you can be fruitful, planting seeds of righteousness for generations to come!

As you pray today, yield all that you are and all that you have to the Lord. Where the ways of the world have turned your head from the path He wants you to walk in, confess and return to Him. Ask Him to show you how wide and long and high and deep Christ’s love is for you, and sit in His presence expressing your love back to Him. Ask Him to expand your perspective and purpose beyond the temporary to the eternal, to root you in Himself and to make you strong, fruitful, and reproductive for His glory and for Him to multiply the harvest beyond anything you could ask or imagine.