Spiritual Vitality Requires the Word of God

January 28, 2025 / by Pastor Traig Whittaker

There are houseplants which thrive even when cared for by people too busy or too disorganized to claim to have a green thumb. Plants in this category of greenery are likely to grow well, even flourish, when treated with what you might call “benign neglect.”

This sort of neglect may include days without sun or weeks without water. Under these conditions, even with long lapses in attention, they will do just fine. The neglect doesn’t threaten the life of the plant.

Our spiritual thriving cannot experience neglect without being threatened. The psalmist uses a plant metaphor to illustrate this truth. In Psalm 1 we read that blessing is found in avoiding some things and delighting in another. The influence of the wicked, sinners, and scoffers should be avoided. The word of God should be delighted in with morning and evening consideration.

And if one gives oneself to this delight, he/she is likened to a tree planted by streams of water. The roots of this tree are never far from the source of nourishment and refreshment. The psalmist is encouraging us to be Rooted in Scripture.

What are the results? Fruit. Fruit does a few things. Fruit identifies the tree. Fruit contains the seeds responsible for propagating the next generation of trees. Fruit is consumed by others who are themselves in need of nourishment and refreshment. Such a person, Rooted in Scripture, will be fruitful.

There is something beautiful and magnificent about a thriving tree which has long produced fruit. Particularly so to the psalmist and his audience given that abundant supplies of water were scarce in the region. A well-watered tree was spectacular.

Dear one, if we don’t sink our roots deeply into the word of God our spiritual vitality and fruitfulness becomes scrawny, crippled, and withered.

People too busy or too disorganized to keep a plant alive should get a philodendron. People too busy or too disorganized to draw from the stream of life-giving water that is the word of God must make the necessary changes that will enable them to regularly and routinely do so. Neglecting this is anything but benign.

Pastor Traig Whittaker has served at East White Oak since 2000. His ministry responsibilities include oversight of the church’s Christian Education programs and administrative duties. Traig is married to Laura and they have four adult children.