Psalm 1

The book of Psalms is a book of poems or songs of praise, worship, thankfulness and repentance.  It is used often as comfort, especially at funerals.  Many of the Psalms are written by David.  Some are written by Asaph, Moses and Solomon.  Some have no recorded author.  Today we will look at Psalms 1 which is about 2 groups of people – friends of God and enemies of God.  The key word in this Psalm is blessed.  It teaches that a happy man avoids evil and delights in the Word of God. 

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” – Psalm 1:1.  “Blessed” means happy.  There is joy and contentment in God who isn’t in these 3 places.  Wicked people try to convince themselves and us their way is better.  We need to seek God’s counsel.  To be blessed of God means that we are walking in the salvation Jesus bought for us on the cross with His blood.  “Man” indicates that it is an individual thing.  It must be a decision for each person.  “Sit in the seat of mockers” means you are hanging out with them and will be drawn into their same attitude.  He is telling us “don’t do it”.  We will be happier if we find better friends.

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” – Psalm 1:2 The Word of God is the “law of the Lord”.  We need to meditate on it.  When we read and study the Bible, the Holy Spirit teaches us what we need to know.  To meditate is to spend a lot of time focusing on a thought.  To “meditate day and night” means to take His Word and its principles wherever we go whether it is at home, church, work, or school.  If we really love God and want to please Him, we should make our decisions based on His Word. 

Are you in God’s Word daily or only when you are in crisis situations?

Do you consult God and His Word before making decisions?

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.” – Psalm 1:3.  A tree planted by water will be a very strong one.  The water will nourished it just like Scriptures nourish us.  God’s Word will make us strong and make us yield fruit.  To yield fruit means we model characteristics of God like “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” – Eph. 5:9.  The fruit of the spirit is produced automatically when we yield to the Holy Spirit and walk in obedience to Him.  “Whose leaf does not wither” means it is an evergreen symbolizing everlasting life. 

How are you nourished by the Scriptures?

What kind of fruit are you producing?

“Not so the wicked!  They are like chaff that the wind blows away.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, not sinners in the assembly of the righteous.  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” – Psalm 1:4-6.  Chaff is very dry like a dead leaf.  When crumpled up, it will break into many pieces and the wind will blow them away.  Chaff is husk of grains that are separated during harvest.  It is of no use and is discarded.  It will be the same on Judgment day.  The ungodly will be discarded and destroyed.  They will be sentenced to eternal punishment, but the righteous will have eternal life with Him in Heaven.  “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous” means He knows everything and will always be there to protect us for eternity.  He knows our hearts and is involved is our lives.  We are made righteous when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  It is very comforting to know that God watches over those who love Him.

To which group do you belong?

Jesus says in John 4:13-14, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal live.”  Eternal life is given when we put our faith in Jesus.  He is the only way we can become righteous.  Without Him we would remain wicked and dry like a crumpled leaf.  He alone can offer us eternal life.  We cannot be good enough by ourselves.  Without Jesus’ salvation we would remain like a desert, but with Him we are like a tree planted by streams of water.  We are healthy and living like a rainforest.

Psalms is a wonderful book to read and study.  It is full of lessons to live by.  Psalm 1 tells us how to be happy by what we do and what we should avoid.  I hope this has stirred your interest and you will read more of the book of Psalms.  See you next time.  Hope to see you here.

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