28 April 2020
Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the one …
… whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither —
whatever they do prospers.
In the past couple of months, I have been really helped in my walk with Jesus by the huge amount of Christian resources that have become available on the Internet. Almost every day someone publishes something helpful – articles, podcasts, talks, sermons; John Piper even managed to write a book. I am also really grateful for the many online prayer meetings, home group meetings and other ways in which we have been able to encourage each other even when we can’t physically meet. It has really brought home to me how God is able to work for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), even in these difficult times.
Aside from these great resources, however, there is no substitute for reading God’s Word in the Bible itself. In days when the news, work email and WhatsApp groups seem to never run out of virus updates, like many people I find it really easy to be sucked into it all and let my mind be dominated by that information. But as Christians, we are called to live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). So it really been helpful for me during this pandemic is to be reminded just how important it is that I turn to the Bible regularly.
I find the imagery in Psalm 1:1-3, quoted above, really helpful as an encouragement. Here the psalmist pictures a person who delights and meditates on God’s Word as like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. A wonderful image of someone who is so steeped in God’s Word that they have taken root in its firm foundation; God’s word comes to their mind day and night and they are nourished and satisfied; they are fruitful – bringing encouragement and blessings to others; and they are durable in their faith even in times of trouble. What an image to aspire to!
It can be tough to set aside time to read the Bible regularly – there are busy schedules and many distractions beside, not to mention the additional difficulties that the pandemic has brought us. But I hope the psalmist’s image encourages us all to make the effort. We can use a study guide or a reading plan like the one we put in our weekly bulletin. We can schedule in time to read it with others – so we can help keep each other reading too.
It is through feeding on God’s Word that that our relationship with him can be deepened. Without it, to use the psalmist’s imagery, we will be like a tree not getting the water it needs, and wither under the sun. There are timeless truths that only the Bible can offer: in reading through the book of Hebrews recently, I was reminded of God’s promises and his faithfulness to his people through the ages. In the books of Habakkuk and Job, I found comfort in God’s sovereignty over all things and situations, even over diseases and other calamities, and nothing can thwart his plans to bring about his purposes. In reading the Gospels, I was moved by Jesus’s compassion for human suffering, his sacrifice on the Cross to save us from God’s judgment, and reassured that I now have an eternal hope that cannot be taken away.
I am thankful that we have free access to the Bible, great resources that we have to help us meditate on it and a really healthy church where we can help each other grow in our trust in its promises. My prayer is that even in the midst of this pandemic we will all be taking root in the Bible, knowing God’s loving care for us and getting our life from an absolutely changeless source: God in his Word.
William Cheng
