Psalm 1
Preached: Jan 10, 2010 - Des Arc First UMC
- Nursing Home
SCRIPTURE READINGS Psalm 1: 2—3
This year I plan on doing something different. As some of you know I
use the sermon I give on Sunday Morning at the Nursing home, for the
Evening Worship and for that week’s newspaper article.
I will continue to do that only this year I plan to be taking
my topics all from the book of Psalms.
I will be learning as much
from this as you will and hope you enjoy these short thoughts.
Looking for peace in the Psalms is not a random choice on my part
nor on your part if you undertake this journey. There’s a reason why
I have come here. Some may think that I may be seeking an
understanding in a difficult situation, a
situation that many of you find yourself in this day also. And that
is partly true. Some may think that I have no other place to turn
to. And that is partly true also. Either way, I am looking in the
right place. In fact it is the only place where peace can truly be
found: in God. And you will always find God in his word.
Tree roots are funny things. They serve two main purposes. The first
is they hold the tree in place and don’t let it fall. Have you ever
seen a tree that is growing on rocky soil. It sends its roots all
over the place trying to get a foothold to hold the rest of the tree
upright and into position. Sometimes things go wrong. I have been
looking at an old Oak tree across the Street from the church that
fell over last summer. The roots were long and strong on that old
tree, but they also were rotten and rotting in the ground. They had
too much water and not enough oxygen to sustain them and keep them
healthy. So when the rains came and loosened the soil and the tree’s
leaves became full of water and weight and when the winds started to
blow. Down came the tree.
The second things that tree roots do are to draw up the water from the
ground and also the nourishments of minerals and nutrients the tree
needs to keep it healthy. I come from Kansas. Out there the main
place you will see trees is along the banks of rivers. It is not
like around here where the forests are supported on any land because
there is plenty of water in the ground. The Ground water in Kansas
is just too deep for that. That is the same way it is in the Judea
area. Trees grow mainly on the banks of rivers because the soil is
too rocky and dry any other place to allow the trees to grow.
That is what the psalmist is saying in verse three. That a tree that
is planted anywhere other than near its source of nutrients and
water will never live but one that is planted near those will
flourish. To the psalmist this river of nutrient is the Law of God,
or his holy word. Many people have a Bible in their rooms, but not
many people study and understand and draw strength from it. They
have faith, but have not set deep roots to sustain and uphold them
in the times of trial and torment. Or they had deep roots at one
time and now they have let those roots rot away because of the bad
things that have happened in their lives. And so those roots no
longer support and feed them.
If you do not study and draw in God’s love and word into yourself
and you cannot clear your roots of the things that are rotting them
away. You like that mighty oak across from the church will die,
first internally and then with a mighty crash as your life comes
crashing down around you. Like river water nourishing a tree’s
roots, when you drink in God’s word. It goes deep into your heart
and makes you strong and whole. God’s nurturing you with his truth
and giving you the courage and wisdom to withstand whatever may be
facing you.
So as the psalmist says; seek him—allow his word to take a root deep
into your heart so you will be sure to find the peace you are
looking for in life