Blessed is the man … his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit… (Psalm 1:1-3)
Sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s the sort of life we can envision on Sunday morning. Then Monday hits with full force. Alarm clocks. Commutes. Deadlines. Pressures. Obligations. Temptations. Distractions. Mismanaged priorities. Unplanned hiccups. Overscheduled commitments. By Tuesday, the Sunday talk of blessing and delight seems like a distant memory. The “tree” of spiritual vitality begins to look more like a neglected and withered shrub.
You need spiritual nourishment today. That’s why you’re here. But your heart will need refreshment tomorrow and Tuesday and Wednesday. Will your spiritual health get shoved to the back burner? Will you try to run the marathon of this week’s 168 hours with little of God’s fuel for your soul?
What difference could thinking ahead make? “I need God like a tree needs water. I need to talk to God in prayer. I need to open my Bible. I need to take advantage of opportunities to grow. I need to assemble with my church family. How can those needs be satisfied this week? What has led to my neglecting those needs in the past? What ‘good’ things might need to be sacrificed or delayed so that the ‘best’ things aren’t neglected?”
You’re not invincible. Neither am I. Without the blessings that flow from a life-giving connection to God, you can only cling to the edge of the cliff so long before erosion has a disastrous effect. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matt 5:6).