Strolling Through Psalms: Psalm 1

Life has its seasons. Some are wonderful, honeymoon-type experiences that always seem to end too soon. Others are manic, break-neck paced efforts just to stay afloat. Some seasons are sweet and others are sad. Still others, like raising small children, are a delightful mixture of all of the above – crazy and hard and wonderful. I’m currently living in what I hope is the tail end of an incredibly challenging season. There are days when I’m on. I feel secure and confident and loved, and I tackle the latest matter of concern with wisdom and grace. Those are fantastic days. More commonly, however, my first impulse is to default to something a bit less mature. I want to rant and rave, words which are not in my active vocabulary threatening to erupt from my lips. In order to combat and circumvent such outbursts, I turn to Scripture, more specifically to the book of Psalms. If there was ever a guy who had reason to spit and sputter at the injustices life had dealt him, it was David. The young shepherd-boy was anointed as king of Israel, but he had some growing up to do before he was thoroughly equipped for the job. If anyone could speak the language of fear and frustration and ultimate faith that I need to hear, it is this very David.

I started reading one Psalm each morning, then pondered its meaning and personal application throughout the day. Some days this brought the comfort that someone understood what I was feeling. Other days, I was strongly encouraged by reminders of the incredible goodness of God, of the unfathomable depth of His love. But some days, oh man, some days were just special. On those days, I recognized truth in words that I have read many times before, but never quite understood. Or maybe I just began to understand them differently. With that in mind, I’ve decided to share some of the things I’ve learned while strolling through Psalms. It is my bravely hopeful intent to share one or two of these posts each week. These will likely be much shorter (and less carefully edited) than my usual posts. Certainly none will be presented as a deep theological treatise, but rather quick glimpses into whatever thought /insight /light bulb moment I happened to have that particular morning.

Of course, my OCD nature can do no other than to begin with Psalm 1.

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV(emphasis added)

Verse 1

¹ Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,

A great way to glean the meaning of Scripture is to pay attention to the verbs. Here we see a relationship developing – walking, standing, then sitting. The order in the sentence coveys a progression, a deepening of the relationship.

In my mind’s eye I picture two men who are meeting for the first time. In walking, they are casual acquaintances. They talk briefly, perhaps say Hello, then go their separate ways.

When they take the time to stand, they are engaging in conversation, getting to know each other, telling about themselves. The conversation will be fairly quick, and on the surface level, but they will probably discover a thing or two they have in common.

Finally, when they sit together, they are investing in the relationship. Here they are discussing matters of importance with each other. Whether they are talking about football or business or their faith, the conversation will likely go into more depth and be about things that genuinely matter to them. This stage is where friendships are formed.

If we look back to the first word in the verse – Blessed – it is obvious that we need to choose very carefully with whom we walk, stand, and sit. My Mama (and probably yours as well) always said that you can judge the character of a man by the company he keeps. Who is my tribe? What kind of people are they? When I spend time with them, that is the kind of person I will become as well.

Verse 2
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.

Delight is such a rich word. It implies great pleasure or satisfaction. I haven’t always delighted in the law of the Lord. It used to feel like a burden to me – a really long list of ideals that I would never ever live up to. At that time, I understood very little about the heart of the Father. When I began to recognize that God sees me, He hears me, He cares about me, everything changed. He sacrificed His best to rescue a bonehead like me. When I know that I am loved and that God is for me, reading His word becomes a source of comfort, joy, and encouragement.

The word meditate feels very New Age-y. Now, there’s nothing wrong with sitting cross-legged, clearing your mind, and meditating. You can even fire up the diffuser with some lavender oil and do yoga. I have some redneck friends who would balk at this idea, but the truth is that it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Meditating is simply a matter of turning your mind toward something. Some of my best contemplation time used to occur when I was running. I could cast my thoughts towards a problem that needing solving, a lesson I was planning, or some important concept from Scripture. Now when I read a Psalm each day, I try to pull out one focal verse, or even one line, to ponder off and on throughout the day.

Verse 3
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

A tree planted by a stream is green and lush. Its roots tap deep into the soil, reaching the source of the water. It’s there to stay, not hopping from one location to the next. Similarly, when I am rooted in God’s Word, I am grounded and connected to my Source. His life flows through me. When the storms of life blow, I may bend in the wind but I will not snap like a dry, parched tree. In time, when I stay connected, I will bear fruit. Just think about this. Apple trees don’t stress and strain to produce apples. They don’t get all bent out of shape because they aren’t producing pears. They just do what they were created to do, and when they have good nourishment from the soil and the proper amounts of water and sunlight, the apples just develop naturally.

That was an important thought for me a couple weeks ago when I carefully considered the words of this Psalm. David says here that whatever this person does will prosper: not because he’s the most amazing person alive, but because he focuses his heart and mind on the Word of God, then he simply does what he was created to do.

So shall I.