The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Like a Tree" for Tuesday, 3 January 2017 with Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8

The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Like a Tree" for Tuesday, 3 January 2017 with Scripture: Psalm 1:1 How blessed are those
who reject the advice of the wicked,
don’t stand on the way of sinners
or sit where scoffers sit!
2 Their delight
is in Adonai’s Torah;
on his Torah they meditate
day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams —
they bear their fruit in season,
their leaves never wither,
everything they do succeeds. and Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man who trusts in Adonai;
Adonai will be his security.
8 He will be like a tree planted near water;
it spreads out its roots by the river;
it does not notice when heat comes;
and its foliage is luxuriant;
it is not anxious in a year of drought
but keeps on yielding fruit.

-------
Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”[John 4:14 (NIV)]
The trees on the riverbank across from my house are not particularly beautiful, but they are sturdy and productive. A wide variety of birds find refuge in their branches. People walking along the path by the river often stop and sit in the shade they provide. The pine cones they drop are collected by others as fuel for their fires.
During a recent drought the trees have continued to flourish as their roots grew deep, and they were nourished by the river. This reminded me that my life flourishes when I am rooted in the wisdom and truth of God’s word, when I stay near the living water Jesus offers. By staying close to God, meditating on scripture, and resting in God’s presence, I can become spiritually strong. Then other parts of my life also move within the pattern God has set. When I overlook these spiritual disciplines, my life becomes less productive and I lose the peace and joy that God wants to give me. At such times I look at those trees and remember what my priorities need to be — keeping my life grounded in God’s word and drinking the water Christ offers for eternal life.
Read more from the author, here.
"More from Ann Stewart"

It seems to me that whenever someone is asked how they are these days the word "busy" appears somewhere in the answer. Being busy seems like something to be valued, and if you’re not busy then you might wonder what is lacking in your life. If I’m not "busy" I can find myself feeling guilty. I wonder if our hectic society has made an idol of busyness.
Jesus was always about his Father’s business, and I sometimes wonder if I’m following that example or whether the hours and moments of my days are so filled with activity that I don’t find time for the really important things that God created me to do. Are we too busy with very good and worthwhile things to spend quality time with God in prayer? Are we too busy to stop and really listen to a friend or to play with a child? Too busy to enjoy the beauty around us, to sit and rest, to complete tasks without rush, to sleep well at night without a mind that finds it hard to rest? Do we find the interruptions that are part of life a bother or an opportunity to meet a need? Are we realistic in our expectations of what we can achieve in one day? Do we find ourselves rushing from one activity to another and finding life hectic so that at the end of the day we are exhausted? There are times and seasons when we need to be busier than others; however, these are questions I’ve needed to ask myself this year as I’ve re-evaluated my priorities in the season of life I’m in.
I think our enemy is very happy when we are too busy and we believe the lie that we need to be doing something to be of value. He loves to see us leading frantic lives with no space for God. He loves to hear us say "yes" to every good task we are asked to do because then we can become overloaded with good deeds and have no time left for relationships. We are created for relationships – relationships with our loving God and with other people.
I’ve needed to make some adjustments to how I spend my time and become better at saying "no." Getting better at "being" is a challenge for me because I’m a practical person and love to be involved in everything. However, I am getting better.
The years of Jesus’ earthly ministry that we read about in the Bible were very full and productive. However, he found time to consult with his Father, to be interrupted by needs, to sit with children, to laugh and visit with friends. I can’t imagine Jesus rushing and telling his disciples to get a move on and not waste time! He was tired; he was human. But Jesus was in tune with God and filled with peace and a calmness of the Holy Spirit. My desire is to be more like Jesus and continue to use the trees in front of my house (pictured above) to remind me of these truths. I’d love to hear how you manage to live a balanced life and if you have anything like my trees as a reminder of what is really important in life.[Ann Stewart]
The Author: Ann Stewart (South Australia, Australia)
Thought for the Day: My life flourishes when I rest in God’s presence.
Prayer: Loving God, open our eyes to see, and help us to learn the lessons your creation can teach us. Amen.
Prayer focus: Environmentalists-------