“他要像一棵树栽在溪水旁，按时候结果子，叶子也不枯干。凡他所作的，尽都顺利。” - 诗 1:3
去年春天，一群志愿者在我居住的社区种了一些树苗。作为一名居民，我收到的礼物就是我家门前的两棵树。我现在的责任是确保这些树被悉心浇灌，好使它们茁壮成长。我后院里的巨大的老橡树仅靠雨水就可以了。但是新栽的小树需要额外浇一些水，直到它们长出深根，能够独自生存。
《圣经》的信息是，神在爱中创造了我们，并藉着对耶稣的信救赎了我们，唯独靠着恩典。作为靠恩典得救的人，我们被邀请活出神为我们设计的美好生命。我们这样生活不是为了赢得救恩，而是为了向神表示感谢，在信仰中成长，在神希望我们活出的美好生命中兴盛。神将救恩白白地赐给我们作为礼物，我们满心感激地要遵守神的律法，因为这是最好的生活方式。这也是我们被造的目的。
《诗篇》第1篇说，这种美好的生命就像一棵栽在溪水边的树。这棵树会结出果子，不会枯萎，因为这棵树正以它本该有的方式生活，被创造主赐予的生命之水滋养着。人也是如此。当我们被神的爱的方式栽种和滋养时，我们的生命就会欣欣向荣。
祷告
神啊，求使我像一棵栽在溪水旁的树。将我的生命植根于你的爱的法则中，好使我以你设计的方式去生活。阿们。
诗篇 1篇
1不从恶人的计谋，不站罪人的道路，不坐亵慢人的座位，
2唯喜爱耶和华的律法，昼夜思想，这人便为有福！
3他要像一棵树，栽在溪水旁，按时候结果子，叶子也不枯干，凡他所做的，尽都顺利。
4恶人并不是这样，乃像糠秕，被风吹散。
5因此当审判的时候，恶人必站立不住，罪人在义人的会中也是如此。
6因为耶和华知道义人的道路，恶人的道路却必灭亡。
The Good Life
"That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." - Psalm 1:3
A group of volunteers planted some new trees last spring in the neighborhood where I live. As a resident, I received the gift of two trees in front of my house. My responsibility now is to make sure the trees are well-watered so that they can flourish and grow. The huge old oak trees in my backyard do just fine with rainwater alone. But the new young trees need some extra watering until they grow deep roots and can survive on their own.
The Bible's message is that God created us in love and has saved us through faith in Jesus, by grace alone. As people saved by grace, we are invited to live the good life that God has designed for us. We live this way not to earn our salvation, but to show our gratitude to God, to grow in faith, and to flourish in the good life God wants for us. God has given us salvation as a free gift, and we gratefully aim to follow God's law because it's the best way to live. It's what we were designed for.
Psalm 1 says that living this good life is like being a tree planted by streams of water. That tree will yield fruit and will not wither, because the tree is living the way it is meant to live, nourished by the water of life given by its creator. So it is with people. When we are planted and nourished by God's way of love, we will flourish.
Prayer
God, make me like a tree planted by streams of water. Root my life in your law of love, so that I can live the way you have designed me to live. Amen.
