Water Shedding Dust

About a year ago I read the first Psalm and was struck by these verses:

Blessed is the man who's delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Psalm 1: 2 & 3

I remembered how in the few days prior, I had let my garden plants go too long without water and they had wilted down, looking like they were done.  But I watered them anyway and to my surprise the next morning they looked great and went on to produce more veggies.  I realized how the Psalm speaks to this very thing, not about plants, but to our hearts.  When I neglect time with God, (which I seriously had for months and months on end), never opening his word, my faith, my relationships, my everyday life became a dry shriveled, lifeless shell.  But once I made it a priority in my life to read his word and spend time in prayer, I felt alive again, full of life, hope, and renewed energy.  Bible reading and prayer, except for a few exceptions over the past year have been a wonderful beginning to each morning.

But lately, I have felt a restlessness, a critical spirit in my heart towards Mark and others, a mini-pity party taking root in my heart.  My bible reading for the day again took me to Psalm 1. As always, I am left in awe of God's timing, and his gentle rebukes as he uses His word to guide me back to the right path. Again I saw a "garden analogy".  We have about two acres west of our house.  The first half acre we use for our garden, west of that is a sparsely wooded area with no vegetation on the ground, just bare dirt.  Back in the corner of this area is where our turkey pen was.  When Mark and I watered and fed them each day we watched as the hose would hit the powdery dust on the ground and just run off the top.  It amazed us how when the dirt had gone for so long without rain, it would literally shed the water instead of let it soak in.  As I read the psalmist words above, I saw how that is exactly what I was doing.  I was reading God's word, but instead of letting it soak into my heart, I was letting it shed off my back.  Thank you Lord Jesus!  For opening my eyes to the way I have wasted your precious words!  I have been using them for entertainment, as a "feel good tonic" instead of for the precious life-giving resource that they are!  My new prayer is:

Lord, help me not be like the dust that sheds water,

When I read your word, let it penetrate my heart.  Amen