Psalms Reading – 1.3.2022
Psalm 1
1 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.
This is such a helpful psalm to start our journey through this splendid book. It is classified as a wisdom psalm. It teaches the difference between the way of the righteous in verses 1-3 and the unrighteous in verses 4-5. Verse 6 is a summary of the two.
It paints two pictures. The righteous are like well-watered healthy fruit-bearing trees. They are strong and stable producing the kind of qualities that represent Christ and His kingdom.
In contrast, the unrighteous are like wheat chaff that is easily blown away. They have no stability and no endurance in the presence of the righteous and the final judgment.
The difference between the two is that the righteous meditate on God’s instructions while the unrighteous do not. In fact, the righteous delight in doing so. It is not a duty or a dreaded exercise. It is done with passionate desire because it is life-giving. It is the way of the blessed life. It is the way of true happiness in the kingdom. It leads to the promise that the Lord watches over those who choose to go this direction.
There is no other way around it. It you desire to be among God’s truly happy ones, if you desire victory in your spiritual journey, then taking time to think deeply about God and His Word will be a practice, even a lifestyle, in which you joyfully delight.
Memory Verse:
Psalm 1:1-2, 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, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
Question(s) to Consider:
Do you delight in God’s Word? What does your practice of thinking deeply about Scripture look like?