Willows by the Watercourses

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty.
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;
They will spring up among the grass
Like willows by the watercourses.'
Isaiah 44:3-4

I love the words of the Bible. When I read the phrase "willows by the watercourses" in Isaiah, I underlined it and wrote it in the margin of my Bible. When I read these words, God's promise to Israel, I thought of a quiet, peaceful resting place. I thought of deeply rooted trees firmly planted in rich soil by streams of pure flowing water. I thought of how God supplies all I need, and His invitation to me to become firmly rooted in His Word.

The photo above is taken at a spot that holds a place that is near and dear to my heart. Just beyond the tree line is a bike trail that leads to the Virginia Tech Campus. About a mile from this spot is the drill field at Virginia Tech, which is right outside the Norris Hall, where 32 students and faculty members were slain. This week marks the two week anniversary of this tragic event.

My son Will now lives in an apartment right around the corner from this park. He was at Virginia Tech in his dorm room when the shots were fired at the school. He lost a friend in the massacre.

The photo above speaks volumes to me. No matter what happens in our lives, God has a quiet place of rest for our souls. As chaos broke out across the Virginia Tech campus that morning, there stood these trees, tall and deeply rooted, by these quiet waters. These trees were growing there long before the tragedy struck, and they continue to grow there today. It wasn't a quick process for these trees to become tall, strong and firmly rooted. They grew tall, strong and deeply rooted over a long process of time, as they took in the rich nutrients in the soil and water provided by our Lord.

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel fo the ungoldy,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful:
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither:
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 1:1-3