I’ve been reading through the Psalms this past week and it has been such a source of renewal and strength. Psalm 1 immediately drew me in and spoke truths I needed to be reminded of.
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly. Nor stands in the path of sinners. Nor sits at the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night.
3 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 whither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Verse 1:
I know I have spent a great deal of time seeking the approval of man, in some cases worldly people. This is a vain thing. I want to be the blessed man who seeks only the approval of God. The one who spends time walking in the light and seeking wisdom from those who know God’s will. I do not need to stand or walk in the same path of the ungodly as those paths are dim and can lead to destruction.
Ephesians 5:8-11
For you were once darkness, but now are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light… finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Matthew 7:13
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Verse 2:
Is reading and studying God’s word a delightful thing to do in your life? Do you reach for your Bible and God’s wisdom day and night? Some days this has been a struggle for me. I get busy and distracted. I realize though, that these are the times I need it the most. I want to make sure that whatever I am facing throughout my day, I am filled with His will for my life. That I understand His laws and cling to them. When we are not spending time in His Word, trials and temptations will leave us feeling empty and without hope. We will not understand true joy and the blessings that come with righteousness. I want the lovely things that God has written for me to be the meditations of my thoughts day and night.
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Verse 3:
I thought this verse was so beautiful. I want to be the tree that has been planted and taken roots near the waters. I immediately think of Jesus when he said that he is living water, that those who come to him would never thirst and have everlasting life.
The other thing that stood out to me was the aspect of time. I get impatient. I like to see results right away and tend to be pretty hard on myself when I’m not great at something almost immediately or know all the right answers. That is not the image that this presents. It takes years for trees to take root, to grow and bear fruit in its season. This will happen when the time is right and it has gotten all the nourishment it needs to bloom.
Jesus will fill us. He will nourish us and help us grow. We just have to plant ourselves in his Word and allow ourselves the time to bear fruit in our season.
John 4:14
But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up in to everlasting life.
Verses 4-6:
I looked up the word chaff to get a better understanding of what that is.
Merriam Webster gave several descriptions, but these are the two that I felt applied here:
- The seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain
- Something comparatively worthless
Wow! That’s a powerful image. The ungodly are described here as the debris that will just be carried away by the wind. They will NOT stand with the righteous and will be considered worthless and perish. I do not want to be cast out. I want to stand firm with the righteous and be found worthy.
Only the Lord knows the way. He is the way to truth and life. We just need to seek him and follow in His footsteps.
John 14:6
Jesus said unto him; I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
All these things were such a beautiful reminder of where my heart should be planted and what my heart should be taking root in. I want to be established in God. Let us put God and His word first in our lives and see how much it transforms us.
