“Happy are those…[whose] delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on [God’s] law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season…”
(from Psalm 1)
As I lay in bed last week, for hours and hours…and hours…, waiting for my body to recover from whatever bug I had caught that laid me up (or more accurately, laid me down!), there were times when my mind went in a million different directions. On occasion, as it raced, in an attempt to calm it down, I found myself reciting some of these simple phrases: “God is good…God is faithful…God is with us….”
Those phrases are not necessarily found among the 613 commandments found in the Hebrew Bible–“the law of the Lord”–and as such, are likely not what the psalmist was referring to when he wrote about those happy people who “delight in the law of the Lord,” meditating on it nonstop.
But to me, those phrases–God is good…God is faithful…God is with us–encapsulate much of the truth and beauty and power of our faith.
And when I can think about those things rather than the things that cause me anxiety or fear, then I become more solidly grounded–kind of like a tree.
When I can think about those things rather than all the things I don’t know or don’t understand, then I become more deeply nourished–kind of like a tree whose roots are fed by nearby water.
When I can think about those things rather than trying to desperately figure out how I can solve, fix, or help everyone or everything around me, then I become less tied to both my efforts and the immediate outcomes and tangible results, and more trusting of things happening as and when they need to–kind of life a tree whose roots are fed by nearby water, whose fruit grows when it’s time for the fruit to grow.
I’m pretty sure I will never find delight in meditating on the 613 laws found in the Old Testament. But I trust I will continue to find meaning in meditating on the simple and profound truths found in phrases such as “God is good” and “God is faithful” and “God is with us.”.
I wonder if you do, too?
Peace be with us all.
Deb
Photo by Michael & Diane Weidner on Unsplash
I thoroughly enjoyed your sharing in this blog post. I can relate (at 79 years of age) so well at this moment in time as I prepare to leave my home of 21 years, honing down 40 years of ministry via papers and books, and moving from Arizona to Colorado. My affirmations are very similar reminding me that no matter what I am doing, I am never doing it alone because the Spirit of the Holy One is right here and now, and there is a divine outcome much better than I could humanly design. Thanks!
Let’s be like trees planted by streams of water. Thanks for reminding us to meditate on good things and sink our roots deeply into the moist soil.