Willows by the Water Courses
And they shall spring up as among the grass, As willows by the water courses (Isaiah 44:4, KJV)
The willow is a tree that is usually found where water is plentiful, often along the banks of rivers. The willow “chooses” its location very carefully. As a result of its strategic positioning, as expected, the willow has constant access to water and is therefore constantly flourishing and fruitful. Access to water is a matter of life or death to a tree, and the willow does not want to take any chances!.
The willow teaches us volumes about the link between our intimacy with the Lord and flourishing in life. Your access to water will determine whether your Christian life will be withered or flourishing. A while ago, I wrote a devotional on the spiritual meaning of water, which essentially represents divine supply to meet every human need, spiritual or physical. The Lord operates in our lives by His Word through His Spirit, both of which are called Water in scripture. Your relationship to the Father and Jesus in the Word and through His Spirit has a direct effect on the kind of practical life you are living here and now. Like a tree, the leaves of your life represent your overall state of wellbeing, vitality, and health while the fruits of your life represent the fruit of the Spirit in your character, the results you obtain in your daily lives, the works of your hands, etc. It should, therefore, be apparent what the Lord is talking about when He speaks of a dry tree, with dried up leaves and no fruit.
The willow teaches us that spiritual positioning is crucial. It would rather remain by the rivers of water. When you received Christ, you were spiritually planted in the House of the Lord by the River of living waters. However, you have to PRACTICALLY PLANT yourself by the River in your day to day life. How do you do that? Feeding on the Word and fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit in prayer DAILY is your ticket to planting yourself like the willow tree. Some believers are living far away from the River daily and wonder why their leaves are withering, and there is no fruit on their trees. It is not complicated. Learn the lesson from the willow tree. Be planted by the rivers of living water constantly. Your personally devotional life of feeding in the Word, surrender to doing what it says and constantly fellowshipping with the Spirit is your important key to practically planting yourself by the River with access to abundant water when the need arises.
MEDITATE
What do you think?— Are you currently practically planted by the River or you are far away? What is the state of the leaves of the tree of your life? Are there any fruits on the tree of your life? Are you in spiritual drought and withering?
APPLY THE WORD
Your devotional life is your foundational key to being planted practically by the rivers of water. I meet Christians who meditate on the Word once a week and pray 1-2 minutes a day and then expect to get up and speak to a demon with authority. It does not work this way. You cannot live in a dry place and expect to enjoy the benefits of water. I pray you to understand this. Your practical relationship with the Word and the Spirit determines the amount of water available to you to solve the daily crises of your life. Learn the lesson from the Willow Tree!
PRAY
Ask the Lord for the grace to be practically planted by the rivers of living water.
If you do not understand what the devotional life is, please read this article “What is the daily devotional?”
Our book “The Devotional life: Your key to a spiritual life with results” was released purposefully to help the believer establish a a habit of planting themselves by the river and always having access to water without days of draught.
Free Mini E-book: From Spiritual Dryness to Flourishing
This good commentary reminds me to make time for the Lord, simple as that, everything else pales in comparison and I come truly alive in Him when I do, drink from Him.. reminds me of that old song spring up a well within my soul ,
spring up a well and make me whole,
Spring up a well and give to me
That life abundantly
Thank you Sherry for that refreshing and inspiring comment! The Lord indeed fulfill that desire and being you into the fullness of knowing and enjoying His presence.