Psalm 1:1–3: “How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers. Instead, he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on His commands day and night. He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts.”

One thing we know the tree needs is water. There is no arguing with it. The tree needs water. The tree is not water, but the tree needs water. And in this passage, we are talking about the word of God. You do not know how much you need the word of God.

You look at the tree and say, “Wow, this tree is so green.” But you cannot see the water. Its root has gone deep, and there is water you cannot see that is powering the tree—the flourishing, the leaves, the fruit you can see. Similar to the word of God. It can seem like, “What is special? What is there? What is special about it?” May you never know by experience why it is special. The tree does not want to experience dryness.

Peter told Jesus, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). It is not an option; it is a necessity. Water is not optional for the tree. Water is not optional for the tree. You need water. You need the word of God. There is no alternative to it. You need the word of God.

The water is being used as a picture of the word of God, and this person prioritizes the word. He meditates on His commands day and night. He finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands and meditates on them. So we see a lifestyle that is not just focused on hearing the word but also living out the word. Know the word, live the word, think the word.

You might think to yourself, “It is just one book among many other books.” Do not think like that. It is the life‑giving word of God. Jesus Christ said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify about Me” (John 5:39). So the word of God is not just literature; it is the gateway to divinity, a gateway to who God is. It is not just letters on pages; it is water flowing for the sustenance of all of us who are, in a way, that tree.

When Jesus healed a man, the man said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around” (Mark 8:24). So, in a way, we are all trees that of necessity need water, and the water is God’s word. Look at what Jesus said when He was tempted by the devil: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). That is life‑sustaining. It is what makes everything else work out, everything else shape out the way it should.

There is no escaping the necessity of the word of God. Let that be impressed on you. Embrace that truth. Do not think like children. Think, recognizing what God recognizes. Embrace the truth of God’s word. Embrace the necessity of the word of God preached to you from the pulpit, read by you from the Scriptures, listened to by you from people preaching. Do not ever be tired of hearing it.

When the writer of the book of Hebrews says, “Do not neglect the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25), it is in the context of hearing the word of God, of constantly charging ourselves so that none of us will fall into the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). It is still about the word of God. That “do not neglect the assembling of ourselves together” is about being able to constantly charge one another. It is about the power that the word of God has in our lives in that gathering together.

And when the church was first formed, we are told that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). That is the first thing that is mentioned.

God bless you. See you later.