A Fruitful Tree in the Desert (17:1-13) — Pastor Trevor McMaken

JULY 5: A Fruitful Tree in the Desert (17:1-13) “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.” SUMMARY: Even in spiritually arid conditions, the people of God can bear fruit by sending their roots down into the underground streams of God’s vitalizing presence. We can thrive in exile, whether due to quarantine, personal rejection or cultural resistance to the Gospel. DISCUSSION: What are the key differences between the person described in verses 5-6 and the person described in verses 7-8? What is the source of each person’s strength and how do they access it? Where are those decisions leading them? What are the challenges in your life right now that undermine a life of fulfillment and fruitfulness in the Lord? What are ways that you can ground yourself more deeply and sustainably in your life with God? What fruit do hope this kind of rootedness will bear in your own life and your life with others? How does that lead you to pray? PRAYER: Merciful God, whose presence brings us hope in the season of weariness and confidence in times of trial, so root our lives in your Spirit that we, being nourished for every good work, may bear fruit in the parched places of our homes and neighborhoods and be preserved through all adversity, to the glory of your name. Amen. PRACTICE: Revisit your rule of life in order to clarify which rhythms are helping you root yourself in the Lord. What is working? What is not working? How can you change or recraft your rule to help you become like a fruitful tree?