November 27

They will sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams. — Isa 44:4 BSB

The willow cannot survive without water; it must grow near a brook or river, or it will wither and die. If you plant a young willow on a mountain or in a desert, it will quickly wither away. But take even a small twig from a willow and plant it near a stream, where the water can reach it, and it will soon send its roots downward and shoot its branches upward.

This is true of the child of grace. He must live by the riverside, dipping his roots into the "river whose streams make glad the city of God," and constantly bathe in its flow, or he will droop and die. He cannot thrive in the world, cut off from Jesus, His word, His ordinances, His people, His presence, His Spirit, and His grace, any more than a willow can live on a mountaintop. He cannot survive among carnal men, separated from union and communion with his glorious Head, any more than a willow can flourish in the wilderness. Jeremiah describes this beautifully: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8). The saints of God, then, grow like "willows by the flowing streams."

The willow is also incredibly resilient. Each branch teems with life, and even when cut down, it revives with "the scent of water" (Job 14:9), sending out fresh shoots. Isn't this a fitting picture of the child of God, who, like the willow, retains life and vigor, even when the stronger trees of the forest are toppled by storms or cut down for firewood?