Blessed  is the person

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but whose delight is in the instruction of the LORD,

and on His law they meditate day and night.

They are like a tree planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all they do, they prosper.

(Psalm 1:1-3)

When my soul was embittered,

when I was pricked in heart,

I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;

you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward

you will receive me to your glory.

(Psalm 73:21-24)

The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the house of the LORD;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

to declare that the LORD is upright;

He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

(Psalm 92:12-15)

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

    But, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.
Like a weaned child content in its mother’s arms,
    my soul is a child content.

(Psalm 131:1-2)

 

Search me, O God, and now my heart!

Examine me and know my disquieting thoughts,

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way ancient and everlasting.

(Psalm 139:23-24)

A flourishing life, one that does not wither in the droughts or the floods nor fades with time, is a life lived planted in the presence of God, nourished by His instruction. Such a life is not a reaction to the pace of the heart “lifted up,” nor is ever looking for things it is not able to see—the future, another’s heart, the detailed plans of how everything works out. Instead, a flourishing life is cultivated in contentment.

The soul of a life content is sufficient within itself to face the challenges of any given day. Much like a child free in the bonds and presence of Love, it is not anxious but joyously confident. And we know that, as the psalmist began, we begin by meditating on “His law,” delighting to have our life built on the simple foundation. The problem is not that we don’t believe this; our souls become “embittered,” and the pangs and pleasures of life prick our hearts, so despite what we know and believe, we act ignorantly and brutishly towards God and others.

We do not, as Paul learned to do, always face the ups and downs, highs and lows, hunger and abundance content because of whose life we truly live in (Philippians 4:11-13). In those moments, the moments when we are unsure and uncertain of what to do or how to do it or why we are doing (or not doing) what we are doing, we feel anxious. Our heart speeds up, whether out of fear or anticipation, and our tendency in those moments is to wither—to shrink back because of the lack of nutrients or burnout in an overabundance of stimulation.

So, how do we move from the essentials of “the law” to flourishing? Well, it starts by cultivating quiet hearts and learning to be content in life with Jesus. The exercises in this series are meant to aid us in living simply to flourish in our daily roles and relationships—for our good and the good of those with whom we make and share a life.

Weekly Practices