Trees by the River of God

 •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 6
Young Christian, you have come to Jesus and have tasted of the water of life that He gives, and know that your sins are all gone, washed away by His precious blood. Are you as happy, as fresh, and as bright as when you first trusted in Him, when you felt as if you could never want anything more to make you happy? Some of us have many lessons to learn after we come to Christ, lessons of our own weakness and absolute powerlessness to live for Him as we should like to; so I am going to ask you to look at the great secret of being kept fresh and bright and fruit-bearing.
Have you ever thought about "the river of God, which is full of water"? (Psalm 65:99Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. (Psalm 65:9)). You have tasted of the water of life and found that it satisfied your deep need as a sinner; and you know that it was from the heart of God it came-that mighty river of love that leaped over every barrier and obstacle that man or Satan could raise against it. And now what we Christians need is to go on drinking deeply from it, finding all our joy and refreshment there, even in Christ Himself, for He is the full expression of God's love. We need to be "rooted and grounded in love" (Eph. 3:1717That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (Ephesians 3:17)), so that we might be "like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither" (Psalm 1:33And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:3)); "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD,.. for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Jer. 17:7, 87Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7‑8).
The Lord allows things to come in to test us-"heat" and "drought"-things that would dry and parch and wither us up if our roots are not in the river. How important it is then not to let anything come in between our souls and Christ! In Him alone can the heart that has once tasted of His love find true refreshment and satisfaction. He is "the fountain of living waters." All that this world can offer you is like "broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:1313For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13)). There is nothing lasting there.
"Oh, Christ! He is the fountain-
The deep sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I've tasted,
More deep I'll drink above!"
Again we find trees beside the river in Eze. 47:1212And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. (Ezekiel 47:12), "whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed"; but observe, it is "because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary." The source of their refreshment was in the presence of God. Now the way is open there for us; we can enter with boldness into the very presence of God. He has chosen us that we should be "before Him in love." Is it not an encouragement to go on? Perhaps you have only got ankle deep, as in verse 3; but go on, go on, deeper and deeper, until you find "waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over," even in "the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:1919And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)).
Well, the result of this will be, not only shall we be kept fresh and happy ourselves as we delight in His love, but there will also be fruit, first of all for Him, as the "well of water springing up" returns to Him in worship and praise, like water rising to its own level (John 4); and then there will be "rivers of living water"
(John 7:3838He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)) flowing out. Filled and overflowing our selves, others too will be refreshed and blessed.
Soon we shall be in His presence in glory, where we shall drink from the "river" of His "pleasures" forever, where the "river of water of life, clear as crystal," proceeds "out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev. 22:11And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1)). Meanwhile, are you really thirsting to know Him better? He has said, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty" (Isa. 44:33For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: (Isaiah 44:3)). "He satisfieth the longing soul" (Psalm 107:99For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:9)).
"Him to know is life eternal;
Nothing less can satisfy
Hearts that even once have tasted
Of His love, who came to die."