A Prosperous Life - Lesson 11 - Wither Not

Psalm 1:1-3, ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’

‘… shall not wither…’
shall not wilt, shall not fall away,
shall not fail, shall not faint;

In a figurative since,
Shall not be foolish or (morally) wicked;
Shall not despise, disgrace or dishonor.

His leaf also shall not wither –
Our profession of true faith shall always be regular and clean;
And that faith is to be ever shown by our works.

As the healthy leaves and fruit are the evidences of how well a tree is doing;
So an enthusiastic spiritual profession,
Accompanied with good works,
Are the evidences of the soundness of our faith.

His leaf also shall not wither;
Our faintest word shall be everlasting;
Our little deeds of love shall be had in remembrance.
Not simply shall our fruit be preserved, but our leaf also.

So a leaf will wither shortly before it is going to die,
It will wither if it goes too long without water or nourishment.
It will wither if it has been separated from the tree for too long.

What would you like to share with us about wither?





Psalm 102:1-4, ‘A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.’

His sorrows were so great that he did not eat.
Some people turn to food to take their mind off their sorrows.
What are your thoughts on these verses?





Grief often destroys the appetite.
The neglect of food tends further to injure the constitution
And create a yet deeper sinking of spirit.

As the smitten flower no longer drinks in the dew,
Or draws up nutriment from the soil,
So a heart parched with intense grief often refuses
Consolation for itself and nourishment for the bodily frame,
And descends at a doubly rapid rate into weakness,
Despondency, and dismay.

The case here described is by no means rare,
We have frequently met with individuals so disordered by sorrow
That their memory has failed them even upon such pressing matters as their meals,

And we must confess that we have passed through the same condition ourselves.

One sharp pang can fill the soul,
Monopolize the mind,
And drive everything else into the background,

So that such common matters as eating and drinking
Have been utterly despised,
And the appointed hours of refreshment have gone by unheeded,

Leaving no manifest faintness of body,
But an increased weariness of heart.

Psalm 102:5-11, ‘By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.’

Spiritually and physically emaciated,
Out of our element and all alone,
Rubbing ashes on our face like mourners often did,

It sounds like this person is feeling sorry for themselves,
But we read in verse one that this is a prayer for the afflicted.

Is this how we sound when we are having a pity party,
Or is this how we should react during our affliction?





Trials as well as mercies come from God,
And when they truly mourn our low estate,
The time of our deliverance is near.

1 Peter 2:20, ‘For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.’

How do you handle those times?





If we are wise,
we shall feel that if we do not deserve a rebuke,
we can bear it patiently,
and thank God for the grace which enables us to rejoice amidst it all.

The Lord hears our cries,
When we truly go to Him,
When we have repented,
When we are truly waiting on Him.

Psalm 6:8, ‘Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.’

Can you share a time when you felt withered and wept to the Lord and He heard you?





Our Lord is merciful,
Answered prayers from the past need to comfort us
In our current withered state.

Psalm 6:9, ‘The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.’

What confidence do you have of answered prayer?





God will deliver us suddenly,
When our enemies think we are at the end,
Maybe even when we think we are at our end and want to run away.

Psalm 6:10, ‘Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.’

We are to pray for our enemies,
Can’t we pray for them like this?




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