Do you ever feel shaken? Do you ever feel a lack of stability in your life? Do you ever feel anxious?
These are all legitimate concerns in our lives especially in the midst of a pandemic virus that is affecting us all.
This morning, I’d like you to grab your Bible and turn to Psalm 1. Before we jump into some of my thoughts on the passage, I invite you to turn to it yourself and spend a few moments reading it. Write down observations that you see in the passage. Ask questions about the passage. Think about how it can be applied to your life.
Once you’ve done that, continue reading.
This Psalm points us to an important truth. The man who delights and meditates on the Word of God is firmly rooted. In fact, the man who lives according to the counsel of the wicked is portrayed as having no roots at all. He is portrayed as chaff that is blown away by the wind.
There is a stability in living our lives in accordance with God’s Word. That doesn’t mean we are never anxious or that we live perfect lives, but our lives look different than most. When everything gives way around us, we are holding fast to something: the Word of God. It guides us and directs us. It is a light unto our feet. It’s not a self-help book with 10 steps to a more stable life. Rather, it guides and directs us to a person. It leads us to Jesus Christ!
When we hold on to the truth that God is with us, it doesn’t matter what’s going on around us. We live in the comfort and fortitude of our Sovereign God, who is with us always.
Here are a few observations on this passage that I hope lead you to greater understanding and study:
- (V1) The blessed man is the man who delights in God’s Word. The word for blessed here means happy! There is great joy in studying God’s word. It leads us to greater communion with him and living in the way he designed us.
- The wicked man does not look to God’s Word for counsel. Instead, he looks to the wicked and he is carried deeper and deeper in sin. Look at his progression: walks, stands, sits. There is more permanence in where he is in the last sentence. Counsel, way, seat. His identity is more wrapped up in his wickedness by the end. Wicked, sinner, scoffer. The terms get harsher. Pastor Greg often uses this quote: “Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay.” This passage is evidence of that. Choose to walk in the way of life. Choose to live according to God’s will.
- The blessed man meditates on the law day and night. A key to being firmly rooted is to be consistently rooted. I encourage you to be in the Word continually.
- He delights in the law of the Lord (or the instruction of the Lord). How do you delight in instruction? One way is when you recognize that it is given in love for your benefit. I always think of my parents. They put rules into place in my life while I was growing up only for my good. I might not have seen it at the time, but I delight in those things when I reflect on the way they loved me by giving me that guidance.
- The streams of water are the Word of God. His Word is our life source. It’s what we drink from and it leads to a fruitful life -- a life where we prosper in all we do. Does that mean materially and in our health and in our wealth? No, but it does mean that our hearts and souls will prosper as we delight in the Lord! Our prospering is the fruit of the Spirit in our lives that leads us to greater love for God and others.
- The Lord knows the way of the righteous. This is not just “knows about” since God knows about every person he has ever created. Rather, there is an intimacy in this knowing. It carries with it both approval and affection. None of us are righteous, but in Christ, God sees us as righteous and delights to allow us to know Him.
I hope this scripture encourages you to meditate and delight in God’s Word!
Pastor Brenton
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