My son and I were listening to a CD the other day that had kid-versions of various songs that most of us have heard since we were little. One song that played has been in my head ever since.
The song is, “I Shall Not Be Moved.” You may be familiar with one of its many versions sung by various artists. After researching it, I discovered that it is actually an African American spiritual. The version on my son’s CD went as follows:
I will not be, I will not be moved.
I will not be, I will not be moved.
Just like a tree, planted by the waters,
I will not be moved.
You may be familiar with two passages of Scriptures that relate to this song. The first is one of my favorite passages, Psalm 1:1-3:
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but 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 in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
And the second passage, the LORD’s words to Jeremiah, from Jeremiah 17:7-8:
‘Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.’
The resemblance between the passages is hard to miss. That makes me think that this concept of being like a tree planted by water is important to God. When the storms of this life come (and they will), our roots must be firmly planted into the truth of who God is as revealed in Scripture. In those drought seasons, we can still bear fruit if our roots are deeply planted in the Lord.
Are my roots firmly planted by the stream of God’s Living Water, or have I allowed my roots to get planted in someone or something other than the Lord?
If I fear when heat comes or I get anxious when the drought hits, my roots are not firmly planted in the Lord. I need to ask God in those moments to search my heart. Today I’m going to spend time praying and asking God to show me if my roots are planted somewhere other than by His streams. I invite you to do the same.
“Lord, I don’t want to be moved in the hard, stressful times or when something unexpected happens and shakes up my plans. Show me where I’ve mistakenly planted my roots. Help me dig them up and move them to be by your streams of Living Water. I do not want to be moved in the hard times. I know that I will not be moved if I stay close to You. Thank You for Your grace and love and how Your streams of Living Water satisfy every part of my soul. It’s in Your Name that I pray, Amen”
Pressing on in faith, Jennifer