Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 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.
4 Not so the wicked!They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Psalms 1:1-6

Can a tree decide where the owner will plant it? Can it tell the owner, “Plant me by streams of water?” No! It is entirely up to the owner where and how he will plant that tree. Can we, on our own, decide to yield fruit and not to wither? Can we decide to be prosperous? No! Think about your life. Where does the anxiety come from? Where do you feel pressure and stress? It all comes from this quest for prosperity, whether it be material or incorporeal. We all want to prosper and thrive. The question remains how to do it.

We can’t plant ourselves. And once we’re planted somewhere, we can’t water ourselves or give ourselves the right nutrition to grow. The owner does that. The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we control things we have no control over. We try to plant ourselves. We make choices and situate ourselves in places we think we will thrive. We take charge of yielding fruit, not withering away, and prospering. How is that working out? If we try to control things out of our control, our lives will be full of strife, anxiety, and despair. We must nail this point down; we can’t control prosperity.

God is the sole author of our blessings. If we are right with Him, He plants us by streams of water. He creates the conditions for us to thrive. He gives us water, sunlight, fertilizer, and nutrients to bear fruit. If God plants us by streams of water, we do not wither. Whatever comes our way, good or bad, we flourish and bloom. How many times have you seen people wither under the pressure of life? You can literally see them shrinking before your eyes. Their faith in God shrinks. Their hopes shrink. Their happiness shrinks. Don’t let this be you! If God plants you by streams of water, He takes care of you and ensures you yield fruit and are prosperous.

We must make a distinction between what we control and what God controls. We can’t control where God plants us. We can’t control yielding fruit. We can’t control our prosperity. We like to think we can control these things, but ultimately, it’s all in God’s hands. So what can we control? We must not walk in step with the wicked; we must not stand in the way of sinners; we must not sit in the company of mockers; we must delight in the law of the Lord; and we must meditate on His law day and night. This is our job!

There’s a clear distinction between God’s job and our job. Let God take charge of where we’re planted, whether we yield fruit and prosper. Don’t waste your life trying to control things you have no authority over. Am I going to be rich? What’s the best location for my business? Where do I go to succeed? What steps do I need to take to be prosperous? Leave these things behind.

Focus on what you can control. Focus on five things. Don’t sin! Don’t align yourself with sinners! Don’t keep company with mockers! Delight in the law of the Lord! Meditate on His law! If we do these five things, if He hasn’t already, God plants us by streams of water. We’re vibrant and fresh, never withering, and God gives us prosperity in every way. Instead of spending a lifetime planning and scheming ways to prosperity, how about letting it all go and casting those worries on God? Just leave those things to God and turn all your attention to doing these five things!

Click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1987-9-23-full