Psalms 1:1-6

Blessed 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;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

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.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

I used the KJV version of these verses on purpose. There is something beautiful in the language “of old”. It sounds so poetic, mostly because it is foreign, however I don’t want to us to miss some really great things to ponder.

In verse 1 we are shown that blessing comes to those who do not take counsel from the ungodly. Honestly, when I read this, I see our world and realize how much we as Christians drink down the advice and counsel of those that have an opposing world view. Whether it be a politician, a co-worker, a boss, a movie star… even a counselor that does not align with the truth of God’s Word, we take all of this in and we become… not blessed.

Though we think that the contrast or solution to this is to surround ourselves, therefore, with godly counsel, to stand in the path of the righteous and sit in the seat of those who encourage… it is not where we find delight. No, our delight is found in the “Law of the Lord”. Here is where we meditate and think! What is the law of the Lord? When Psalmist refer to the law of the Lord, they are almost always referring to the 10 commandments. So why would we find delight in the law of the Lord?

Verse 3 answers “the why”. We will be steadfast and strong, like a tree planted beside a strong source of vitality and life (running rivers). We will bring forth good works (fruit) when it’s appropriate and our lives (leafs) will not wither. Our spiritual endeavors will prosper because they are rooted! This is not the case for the ungodly. When storms come, they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

I encourage you to find delight in the law of the Lord. As Christ followers, we have the revelation and the understanding of the fulfillment of the Law. We know that the law is God’s perfect standard. Without Christ, it stands in condemnation! So as we look through the law and weigh all that we have broken and understand the rich forgiveness offered through the sacrifice and redemption of Jesus Christ, we can delight in it. Much like David delighted in the law, looking forward to the redemption in Messiah; we can look back at the FINISHED work and find a fulfilled delight.

Soli Deo Gloria

Jesse Horne