Transplanted in HIS Presence

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees [trans]planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (Psalm 1:1–3)  (emphasis added)

Behind the life of one who delights in and meditates on or ponders or thinks about God's precious Word is a heart, mind and soul that has been transformed/transplanted by that by our Great God and Father!

As I was meditating on this beautiful Psalm I looked up the simple word planted and found that it literally means transplanted in the Hebrew.  "שׁתל štl transplant  [שָׁתַל] vb. transplant — Qal transplant (poet.); tree or vine, c. ב loc." Abridged BDB  

In Romans 11 Paul teaches us that we Gentiles were grafted into the Vine that is Jesus Christ.  In John 15 Jesus teaches us to, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4)

In Colossians Paul tells us that, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” (Col 1:13)  

Peter tells us basically the same thing, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9–10)
How glorious to rest in knowing that HE has transplanted His children, HE has adopted us, HE has given us a new nature, HE has transplanted "us to the kingdom of his beloved Son."  Storms and drought visit every tree, but those transplanted by "the river of life" will bear "fruit each season."

Pursuing HIM together, delighting in intimacy with Jesus...drinking deeply from the river of life!
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   “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1)  

Coram Deo

A few months ago I was walking through the Prayer Center at Bellevue and I saw this little Latin phrase on the "Prayer & Praise wall.  Coram Deo, living in the presence of God.
Seeing that simple Latin phrase reminded me of a precious Saint named Bro. Lawrence.  Following his death in the 1600's his journal was compiled into a little book called The Practice of the Presence of God.  He shared the following thought.  "In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure."

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Coram Deo means “in the presence of God” or “before the face of God.” It refers to living life in a sense of acute God-consciousness.  We do not behold the face of God; he is invisible to us. But God’s invisibility does not negate his presence. While the prodigal son left his father and ventured to a far country where he could live a riotous life in anonymity, there is no far country to which we can flee from the presence of God. His presence permeates every corner of our world. There is no refuge from his eye. His sight is not restricted to the interior chambers of a church building. His sovereignty extends to every arena of life.  The Christian life is God-centered. God is neither peripheral nor eccentric to human life. He must be at the core, the very center of our existence.  To live life Coram Deo is to live all of life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and to the glory of God.  R.C. Sproul, Before the Face of God: Book 4

“You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”” (Psalm 27:8)

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (Psalm 105:4)  

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Cor 4:6–7)

Pursue HIM, press in to know HIM, HE has promised to reveal Himself to those who seek HIM!


   “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Pursuing intimacy with Jesus!