Whose Leaves Don't Fade
Psalm 1:3c (CEB) · Tending the Soul: Growing in Grace Through Three Questions
“They are like a tree replanted by streams of water, which bears fruit at just the right time and whose leaves don’t fade.” — Psalm 1:3 (CEB)
When drought comes, and drought always comes, the tree by the stream keeps going. Its leaves stay green. Not because the tree is stronger or more determined than the ones withering around it. The difference isn’t internal grit. It’s location. This tree survives because of where it’s planted.
We all face dry seasons. The weeks when prayer feels like talking to the ceiling. The months when grief sits heavy and God feels distant. The stretches when faith is more habit than feeling. The psalmist doesn’t promise we’ll avoid those seasons. The promise is that we can survive them, if our roots go deep enough before the drought arrives.
That’s why the daily rhythm matters. The day-and-night practice of returning to God’s word isn’t dramatic. It won’t make headlines. But it’s the root system that holds when everything on the surface feels dry.
Tomorrow we launch a new series called Tending the Soul, exploring the practices that keep our roots deep and our leaves green. We start with Psalm 1 and the first Grace Group question: how is it with your soul? Worship at 8:30 AM with hymns and organ, or 10:15 AM with our praise team. Online worship is available at youtube.com/@mcphersonfirst. Come ready to check the roots.
God who sustains us through drought, deepen our roots now, before the dry season arrives. Anchor us in practices that hold when everything else fades. Amen.