Like A Tree Planted By Waters

Blessed is the man who trusts in God, and in God he places confidence.* For he will be like a tree planted by the waters that send out its roots. It is not afraid when the heat comes but its leaves will be green in the year of drought, it is not anxious nor will cease yielding fruit.*

Blessed is the man who trusts in God...* The word trust means to rely on, to be secure in, to be confident in. Webster defines it as assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed; dependence on something future or contingent: hope.* If you are not confident someone will do as they promised then you are not assured that you can rely on them, you are not confident in them nor will you depend upon them in the future, you do not trust them. When we trust in God he proves His character, ability, and strength so we can have confidence in him.

Blessed is the man whose confidence is in God...*

The Hebrew word confidence has the root word meaning a refuge, i.e. (objective) security, or (subjective) assurance, confidence, hope, sure, trust.* Those who trust in God, seek refuge in him. Each time we seek refuge in God we find he lives to His word, thus our confidence increases. Moses blessed the people, saying "...the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms..."* Also, he who dwells in the shelter, under the arms of the most high shall abide in the refuge, the secret, hidden place of the almighty.* With such confidence, "I say of God, my refuge and my fortress, my God, I will trust in him."* When we put our trust in God, and take refuge, this builds confidence, so the next time though there is proving, and endurance is needed, we can be assured that we can rely on Him. We learn to trust Him based upon His character. A tree planted by water doesn't bear fruit overnight, it grows its roots towards the water of life.

Now, faith exists assurance, hope, proof of things not seen.*

Assurance is the Greek word hypostasis, which is a word we use today, to mean an underlying reality or substance, as opposed to attributes or to that which lacks substance. Faith exists substance, an underlying reality. Faith exists hope, meaning to hope, hope for, put hope in; expect, an attitude of confidently looking forward to what is good and beneficial. "Hope is to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment; to expect with confidence: trust."* Proof means a certainty, proof. A trial is often used to test or "prove" the genuineness of our faith, to bring a certain persuasion which produces hope and love, that we are His children. As we endure the trial, such proving produces hope.* And hope fills us with joy. Of course, these are things that are not seen, for who hopes for what is already seen?* But we place our trust and have confidence in God, assurance, hope, and we are not disappointed as God lives to his word, so we can truly say blessed is the man whose trust and confidence is in God.*

he is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers (yields fruit.)Psalm 1:3

Who is like a tree planted by waters? the man who puts his trust and has confidence in God. Trust builds confidence. We can see that trust is a very important element of faith and the importance of trust in our topic today. There are many tests in this life, each I believe tests the genuineness of our faith, refines off the dross, and strengthens us in Christ. The condition is if we put our trust in God we will prosper, we will endure, and mature, be complete, lack nothing as James writes. Our confidence in who God is and who we are in Christ grows stronger as we learn to rely on God. For me, I think the ultimate challenge to our faith, that tests if we are firmly planted is when we are faced with death. Even as tough, what if God called us to be a martyr for our faith. Would I fall away or would I be like a tree planted by the waters, whose trust and confidence are in the Lord?

Let us plant a tree, a seedling, by waters, not a little stream or creek that will dry up during a drought, but a river, a lake... First, the seedling grows its roots deep and sends them towards the water. A tree planted by water will have roots connected to a continuous source of water, unlike other trees, it will not have to depend upon the rain nor morning dew for this source of life. When the heat and the drought comes it will not wither so it is not afraid. It is not anxious, it will be prosperous, yielding its fruit in season, never ceasing because of lack of water. The analogy of such a tree is given to what kind of man? the man who puts his trust and has confidence in God. The importance of its roots being connected to a vital source of life is not lost on us and the fact that it has to grow its roots towards that source. Jeremiah tells us that a tree planted by water is like a man who trusts in God and he tells us why we need to trust God. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind..."* Oh Lord, search our hearts and guide us to the source of life.

The righteous like a palm tree will flourish, like a cedar in Lebanon, he shall grow.Psalm 92:12 

The cedar of Lebanon was a wonder, "look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds..."Ezekiel 31:3 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but like green branches, the righteous will flourish.* We see the flourishing or prosperity or bearing fruit is not in regard to earthly wealth. Such a man, such a tree trusting in riches will fall down in the storm. Like the man Jesus talked about who built his house upon the sand, when the waters came to his house it fell, and great was that fall.* Jeremiah tells us, “cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD. He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him."* The man who trusts in his riches, in the end, is a fool as his riches will desert him... "All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water." The man whose trust and confidence is in the Lord, builds his house upon the rock, who is trustworthy and faithful.

Now, that sown on good soil, this exists the one hearing the message and understanding, like as bearing fruit yielding as hundredfold, as sixty, and as thirty.*

There are four soils in this parable. The first one the seed is sown but it is snatched from him by the devil because he has no understanding, he does not hear, perceive, so because the seed is taken away it will never sprout, grow. The second soil the seed is sown and it starts to grow, but unlike the tree planted by waters that sent out its roots to the water, this plant did not, having no roots when persecution comes he is uprooted, falls away. Jesus said, a branch falling away from its source withers and dies and is picked up and thrown into the fire.* The third one is planted and sprouts up, but is choked out by the weeds the devil planted, worldly anxiety, and the deception of earthly riches, he becomes unfruitful. What good is a fig tree that is unfruitful?

he will be like a tree planted by the waters that send out its roots...*

Once I was hiking in the hills and came across a large group of white mushrooms, one, in particular, caught my attention, as it had a big fat stalk. In wonder, I gently touched it, and oops it fell over. I could see the very small roots it had, so I dug with a stick knowing I would find a rock underneath. It looked healthy and strong but it grew upward only with no roots, and it easily fell away. The analogy of growth is the same concept as the Church being built up. The same thing can happen, the Church might look strong because of outward appearances, i.e. it gives and serves and does many works in his name, but if it has no roots it will fall away when suffering and persecution comes. 

So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.Isaiah 61:3

In the fourth soil, the good soil, the roots grow deep and toward the true source of life. They are secure, confident, and in reliance on the character, ability, strength, and truth of God. They glorify God in their body, the life of Christ is being brought to Light. A tree planted by waters is an oak of righteousness: as a vessel prepared beforehand for use is an instrument of righteousness. Some planted and some watered to grow this tree, and it took years until maturity. One must be deliberate, steadfast, at trusting in God, the carnal mind wants to trust in everything else. Gifts are given for the work of ministry, to grow up trees. So if there are big fat mushrooms that so easily fall away then the work of ministry is boasting in the flesh, appearances, and not focused on true growth. The scriptures say if you train up a child correctly he will not depart from it. Paul writes the Church grows children up into maturity, into the fullness of Christ. If this is done correctly they will not fall away. Falling away, being afraid, anxious, these are not trees whose trust is fully in the Lord. But we see how to be like trees planted by waters. When some trees wither because of the heat and some fall over in the storm, those who prosper, have put their trust in God, and in God they have their confidence.