FIRMLY PLANTED
Prayer: Lord, may we be firmly planted; prospering in the pleasure of professing Your Word in an orchard of fruitful friends.
Scripture: How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 NAS
What is your reaction when you see a “good” student begin to hang out with a group of students that are often in trouble? How do you feel when you hear that a strong Christian girl is dating a boy known for his promiscuity? As educator’s we have been trained to watch for changes in a student’s circle of friends. How do you approach this situation?
As a teacher and a parent, there are two lessons in these Scriptures that I have tried to impress upon my children, and are just as important to us as adults. First, we must be discerning about the company we keep and the friends that we choose. Yes, Jesus was known for dining with sinners and touching the unclean, and we should follow in those footsteps. We need to reach out to the unloved, unsaved, and those unable to help themselves but these are not our closest friends. Jesus walked, worked, and fellowshipped with His disciples, those that He chose and who were willing to listen, learn, and suffer for His ministry. A dear friend of mine in full-time ministry argued with me as I begged him not to go in the bars every night to, “meet the lost where they are.” I suggested taking them for coffee or offering rides home while waiting outside of the bars at night might be a better and safer ministry. He protested and followed his plan and I am sad to report that he is now a full-time drunk. He has lost everything; his family, home, respect and ministry. Satan is looking for any opportunity to get his foot in the door of your life; our flesh is weak and easily tricked into sin before we even realize we have been tempted.
If we hang around people who gossip, we begin to listen and even share information. If we hang out with people who are negative and complain, we begin to chime in. If we consistently hang around people who do anything that does not “delight” God, eventually you will find yourself slipping down the slope of sinfulness. I know there are some of you who will disagree with me, but I have seen many lives destroyed by one night of, “I thought I could handle it.”
The second lesson is the need to delight and meditate on God’s commands. These two words tell us to desire or take pleasure in, as well as to ponder and declare God’s law. I pray that you have not been hurt by a legalistic religion during your lifetime; we are saved and sustained by grace through faith and not by works. As an educator you understand the need for rules and limits in your school and classroom. Students would never learn a thing if they were allowed to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted; chaos would reign. Rules are for their own good, so that they remain safe and have the best environment to learn. The same is true for God’s commands, He is not a grumpy, kill-joy who wants to see us suffer. He is a loving God who wants to see us succeed. His commands keep us safe and give us the greatest potential to prosper when we are firmly planted in Him and His ways.
Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]