Psalm 1 is a powerful psalm of instruction that contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the ungodly. The contrasts could not be more stark. As we read through these six short verses we see the psalmist comparing good and evil, life and death, and blessings and curses. The psalmist clearly lays out the way which leads to happiness and the way which leads to misery and ruin. The psalm reads as follows:
1Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in 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 wither;
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.
I would like to share three insights that I pray will bless you on your deeper walk with the Lord.
The joy of a godly man
The Christian who lives a holy life will experience a great deal of joy and blessing simply because holiness and joy are two sides of the same coin. When we live a holy life we are being obedient to the will of God and joy automatically flows to the Christian. While we live in a world that is sinful we don’t have to associate and participate with those whose lifestyle is clearly ungodly. Instead, we concentrate on following in the footsteps of Jesus and experience the manifold blessings that accompany His followers. The godly man may miss out on some of the temporary pleasures of sin but they cannot compare with the joy of doing things that please the Lord. In fact, they will bring eternal pleasures in contrast to the eternal doom sinners will receive. Even when we experience trials and storms in life we have a sure rock in Jesus we can hold onto that will provide us with peace and joy along the journey. The ungodly have nothing to hang onto when life spins out of control and thus have no hope of joy when they are going through a storm.
What’s your delight?
One of my favorite Scripture verses is (Psalm 1:2): “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.” I can honestly say that reading and meditating on the Word of God is one of my greatest delights in life. The reason is simple. As I mediate on the Scriptures I learn more about just how special I am to God and how much He loves me. I also learn how God delights in me when I spend time in reading the Scriptures and in prayer. (Proverbs 15:8) talks about this delight from God: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.” Imagine as we delight in Jesus, He takes delight in us. What a precious thought that the Creator of the universe delights in me!
You are a special tree
I like what Noah Filipiak shares when talking about what type of a tree are you: “Psalm 1 sets up two options: You can be a tree with deep roots, bearing fruit, and standing strong when storms come… or you can be a tumbleweed that blows away with the wind and storms.”1 In (Psalm 1:3) we read about the godly man: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water…” This implies that this tree will have roots that go deep underground and be able to withstand even the toughest storms – and not only stand but prosper! Clearly this isn’t the case with the ungodly. Verse four describes them as chaff or as Noah says, “tumbleweed.” How sad that the ungodly have no roots for their tree; instead, they will crash and burn when the storms of life hit them.
Psalm 1 beautifully lays out what the godly man can expect to receive as he obeys God and delights in His Word. As we feed on the Word of God watch your tree grow and joy flood your soul.
1 2020 Daily Devotions – Psalm 1 – What’s feeding your tree? – by Noah Filipiak