Planted in 2026

January 5, 2026

From Pastor Eileen States

Psalm 1:1–3

A new year invites us to think about beginnings. Fresh calendars. Fresh plans. Fresh hopes. We talk about what we want to change, improve, or leave behind.

Psalm 1 does not begin with a list of resolutions, but with a picture - a tree planted by streams of water.

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.”

The strength of this tree isn’t found in sudden growth or constant productivity. Its strength is found in where it is planted. Its roots are set near a steady, reliable source of life.

As we begin this new year, Psalm 1 reminds us that lasting growth doesn’t come from trying harder, it comes from staying rooted. Rooted in God’s Word, rooted in God’s presence, rooted in the patterns that keep us close to the living water.

Notice the promise in verse 3 that “the tree bears fruit in season”. Not all at once. Not on demand. There will be months of visible growth and months that feel quiet or slow. But a tree planted by water is never left to feel parched. 

This year will bring both joy and challenge. None of us knows what this year will look like. But we can choose where we plant ourselves. We can choose what we return to when life feels uncertain.

So as this new year begins, perhaps the prayer isn’t, “God, help me do more,” but “God, help me stay planted.”

Because when our roots are deep in Him, we can trust that, in His time, fruit will come.

“Whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:3)